Follow The Star
by Basmathgirl
Summary: When Jenny heads to Earth searching for her family, Donna is inexplicably drawn to join her. Rating changed to M for safety sake.
1. Chapter 1

**Prompt:** Jenny heals Donna and then goes in search of her dad, just after EoT and finds a way to stop him from dying.

**Disclaimer:** I had Jeff the Snowman (who later possibly became Father Christmas) held hostage in the back garden for days, and it still didn't win me these characters.

**A/N: **This was written for** tardis-mole**. I was asked not to post this until it was completely finished. Damn it was hard to keep to that!

* * *

**Follow The Star**

**Part 1**

.

It hadn't taken Jenny very long to miss her father. Just three days after leaving Messaline she was desperately wondering where he and Donna were; what they were doing, and how they were.

She thought back to when they had sat in that prison cell together, and Donna had suddenly commented, "Be careful, Spaceman; she'll be calling me 'Mum' next."

Funnily enough Jenny had dismissed the question that had immediately entered her mind because something else had cropped up; he had tried to deny her connection to him.

Not a Time Lord, he had remarked, that she would never be one since they all had a shared history. His words had hurt more than she had cared to admit in front of him. Then again, it had made her determined to please him as much as possible. It seemed to have worked, because he had later hugged her. That felt good, that hug. Nothing else had compared to it so far.

What if she had thought to hug Donna? Would that have felt as good? She would never know now, unless… Unless she sought them out and hugged them both. Yes, that would work, she decided. She would seek out her father and try to claim some of the Time Lord label he had mentioned with such reverence.

The only problem was how. How would she find him? What was it Donna had said? Human. Donna was a human from the planet Earth. Surely that wouldn't be too difficult to find? Much less difficult than leaping from planet to planet in a guessable order to find where they had landed that particular day. Of course that idea depended upon whether Donna actually bothered to go back to Earth every now and again. But it was a start, and Jenny was happy to have a workable plan finally to put into practice.

With added new vigour, she punched in information on the navigation dashboard. The colony had come from Earth, they had told her; so logic said it must have a destination origin to pinpoint and travel towards. Milliseconds later an image pinged up on the monitor before her, showing the size, coordinates, and generalised atmosphere data about the planet Earth. Beaming from ear to ear, Jenny pressed the green button and took her first intergalactic step towards her family. A squeal of delight followed as the engines boomed into life.

She was heading for her version of home.

* * *

Donna sighed. It was all getting too much for her, what with the flowers suddenly leaping up in price, cousin Alison losing weight so that her bridesmaid's dress would have to be altered, again! The community centre had double booked so she had lost that venue for the reception, making her have to book the Scouts' hut down by the football pitches at the last moment. God knew what state it would be in when they tried to set up some buffet tables. And that was another thing; Sylvia's Wednesday Girls had offered to help, but they were on the verge of falling out with each other. A case of too many chiefs and not enough indians, as usual, if you asked her. Typical!

And now Shaun had lost his voice, so nobody would be able to hear him speak his wedding vows. So much so that she might have to have Nerys step in and take his place. Okay, so she wouldn't actually do that. Nerys was taken for a start! And she'd much rather be married to a bloke, even if dealing with the weekly underwear wash was an obstacle she could definitely do without.

She put down her pen, took her head in her hands and sighed again. Why was she so determined to have a white wedding? What drove her to do this? There was no guarantee it would make the marriage any better. She snorted then. What did it matter? She was fast approaching 40, still single and without a permanent job. What she needed was some stability in her life, and not this gnawing chasm that tore at her very soul. Something was missing; that was all she knew.

Tears dripped onto the notepad in front of her before she was even aware of it. Her mother had caught her out the night before by suddenly asking if she loved Shaun enough to marry him. The answer had almost choked her, but eventually she had stuttered out, "Of course I do." But it hadn't sounded convincing. Not in the slightest.

"Donna," Sylvia had gasped in a tone that admonished her. "You shouldn't marry the first man that proposes. You're worth more than that!"

"That's the thing, Mum," she had responded sadly. "I don't think I am at times. Shaun was the only bloke who's given me a second glance, and I'm too old to be choosy."

Too many protests wanted to come out of Sylvia's mouth, and too many of them involved bringing up topics that were completely taboo; or rather had become taboo. Instead all she could do was hug her daughter and offer comfort by saying she'd always support her life choices. What else could she do in those circumstances? Nothing without killing the person Donna had become. It was bad enough that her former self had been killed.

None of this was said as Sylvia gave Donna one of her rare hugs; but Donna appreciated the gesture enormously. As she sat there at her table she could have done with another of those precious hugs.

Idly looking out of her window she happened to notice something that looked like a shooting star. If she didn't know any better she'd have thought it was the Christmas Star back on a farewell tour. Oh my! She'd never seen one before, thanks to frequently cloudy skies and light pollution; and it caused another ache in her heart. To think a space particle that had once torn through the universe had landed right near her. What would she give to be able to travel out in space? It wouldn't happen now; she was too old to be an astronaut and Britain wasn't exactly known for having a space programme. It all seemed so unfair.

* * *

Later that night she lay in bed on her side, staring out into her darkened bedroom. She couldn't sleep again. Too many thoughts kept swirling around in her brain. Thoughts about that meteorite, where it had landed and what it might have brought with it.

After trying in vain for several hours, she decided to give up and go investigate.

* * *

Jenny rubbed her head, trying to take away the pain that throbbed through her skull. In hindsight she should have devised a system of scanning the planet surface to detect the life signs she sought. Oh well, it was too late to regret that. Instead she peered at the landscape she had found herself embedded in. Oops! That could have gone more smoothly.

Pushing on the inner lever, the main door swung open, releasing Jenny and wafting in the fumes of the burning plant life that had saved her from destruction. She waved a hand about in front of her face and coughed dramatically. "Perhaps landing in water would have been better," she commented to herself.

Climbing out, she could see that her craft was sitting at the bottom of a freshly created crater. Another oops! That would attract some attention. After a few attempts, she managed to scale the sides and sit up on the rim as she contemplated her next move. With glee she calculated that the light pollution was coming from an extremely large city; probably London itself! That meant that Donna might be very near. She clapped her hands in excitement.

* * *

It hadn't taken Donna long to get into her mum's car and drive off into the night. The trail the meteorite had blazed wasn't too far away, possibly close to Heathrow or the M25, judging by the trajectory. How she knew she was so certain of this was a different mystery to her, but she just knew.

There wasn't much traffic on the Chiswick flyover, and soon she was bombing along the M4 towards her goal. Following her senses, she headed towards the reservoirs, knowing it had landed somewhere near there, but without attracting too much attention from the airport. They'd probably dismissed as a shooting star; but she knew better.

Finally she was in a position she was happy in, and stopped the car. It was here, not far away. Stepping out, she could smell the scorched earth and followed its scent faithfully. Within minutes she found the outer edge of the crater, and searched the area desperately. Something was calling to her, begging for her attention; and then she saw who it was.

Squatting in the darkness was a girl with blonde hair that hung in a long ponytail against the girl's back as it shone in the moonlight; it was the only visible part of her in the diminished light. But Donna was strongly compelled to get closer, and communicate.

As she got to about twenty metres away the girl suddenly looked up, seemingly confused.

"Hello," Donna softly greeted her. "I get the feeling you wanted me to come." She should have felt self-conscious standing there but she didn't for some reason. The voice in her head was jubilant now, and offering all sorts of wordless love as it reached out for her.

The girl stood up gracefully, her expression welcoming as she took in the fact this was the one person she had hoped to meet. "Donna? Is that you?" she wondered falteringly.

What? How did she know her name? "Yes, I'm Donna. What's going on? Is this some practical joke being played on me?! Because I don't find it funny in the slightest!" Hurt and anger rolled off Donna in waves as she considered what this situation might really mean.

The voice in her head turned to soothing sounds, obviously wanting to reassure her that all was okay.

The girl eased forward, until she could make out Donna's face reasonably clearly. "Donna, it's me; Jenny," she said.

"Jenny who?" Donna queried. "I don't know a Jenny." Except there was something familiar about her that she was trying to avoid at all costs.

"Yes you do! You were there with Dad," she insisted. "That's why I called to you. Please, Donna; I need your help to find him. Where is he?"

"I was? I think you've got the wrong person, love. I don't know any blokes with a daughter called Jenny," Donna protested as the girl got nearer still. "In fact, I don't think…" Her words ground to a halt as she looked at the girl standing there with her dark outfit that bared her arms in a t shirt, and her blonde hair lifted out of the way for practical purposes. For some reason she could picture her doing acrobatics like some Olympian gymnast.

"Don't you know me, Donna? Or should I call you Mum? I was a bit too shy to ask when I came out of the machine. I've missed you so much and I can't wait to catch up with Dad," Jenny enthused as she saw recognition bloom on Donna's face.

"You're Jenny! But you died. We left you dead on a slab," Donna stammered out, pointing at her. "You stepped out of a portable toilet machine all smiles and carrying a gun," she gasped. "And I was standing there watching you with… with…"

"With Dad," Jenny finished for her. "Cobb thought you were Dad's woman, but you said you weren't like that, that you were friends; so I didn't risk calling you Mum."

"You wanted to call me Mum?" Donna quizzed her, feeling suddenly pleased at the revelation. "I would have loved that. Why didn't you say? Of course you can. Come here." She opened her arms wide, and Jenny rushed into her embrace.

As their bodies met so did their minds, wrapping themselves around each other in joyous contentment. But all was not as well as it could have been.

Their hug hadn't lasted long when Donna murmured, "Jenny, I've got something to tell you. Something really bad."

"What's that?" Jenny whispered back, reluctant to let go.

Donna's voice sounded slightly strained as she said, "There was a bit of a problem after we left you; and… not to beat about the bush… it's killing me. I won't be able to hold it off for much longer unless you are willing to risk helping me."

"What do I have to do, Mum? Tell me. I'll do anything," Jenny quickly vowed desperately. She had only just gained Donna back and she wasn't willing to lose her again.

Through gritted teeth, Donna told her, "Bring your hands up and lightly touch my temples with your fingers… Yes, that's it; you'll need to keep them there. You're going to feel a bit of a blast, but it won't hurt too much. Are you ready?"

Jenny nodded. "I'm ready," she said determinedly.

Intense light shot out of Donna, flooding her mind as Jenny bravely held on. And then the universe burst into her head. Staggering backwards, Jenny asked, "What just happened to you?"

"It was a metacrisis regeneration, but I syphoned off some it into you so that you could gain some of your dad's knowledge," Donna explained.

Jenny mentally felt around her head, nudging at pockets of information that enticed her to go exploring more. "Wow!" she exclaimed.

"I need to get you home and into a healing sleep," Donna informed her. "In fact we both do, so get in the car. You're coming home with me."

Jenny instantly found herself being manhandled into a small cramped machine with square-ish portholes, and rather a feeble console. "Where exactly are we going?" she wondered.

Donna smiled back at her as she started the engine. "We're going to Chiswick, Jenny. Welcome to London."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **did you know that EastEnders is a London-based British soap opera? Hopefully you did.**  
**

**A/N2:** thank you **sweetpea blue** and** KLR!  
**

* * *

**Part 2**

.

Jenny felt utterly exhausted. It didn't take long to fall asleep in the machine thing called a car, and Donna had to partially rouse her in order to get her out of it. Feeling rather blurry, she was aware of being taken inside a building, of walking up some steps, and then laying down on something that was extremely soft and comfortable. Much else beyond that evaded her as a welcoming blackness overtook her, and she entered a healing sleep for the second time in her young life.

"Hello sleepyhead," a friendly voice greeted Jenny as she snuffled awake and rolled over experimentally. "How do you feel?"

Jenny stretched out her arms, and grinned joyously back at Donna. "I feel fine. How are you, Mum?"

Donna smiled fondly at the continuing use of that title. "I'm okay. You took quite a blow for me back there; I'd have been dead if you hadn't. Thank you."

"You're welcome," she answered back. Jenny then sat up and pushed her hands down onto the mattress below her to test its solidity. "What is this? And what do you call this?" she asked as she swept her gaze around the room.

"Oh, I'm loving this!" Donna squealed with delight. "I get to help you learn all sorts of new things for yourself." She walked nearer to the bed and put a hand on it. "This is a bed, and the room is called a bedroom."

Jenny frowned. "Is everything always so literal?"

"Yeah, it tends to be," Donna confirmed, surprised by that herself. "I'll show you the bathroom in a moment where you bathe, and… Oh!... what phrase do you usually use to urinate? Anyway, I'll show you all of the facilities we have."

"This is so exciting!" Jenny enthused. "I finally get to explore planet Earth."

"About that, Jenny. It's best not to mention you've only just got here," Donna advised cautiously. "Instead, say you are new to London. We'll work out a proper cover story for you later."

There were sounds of movement outside the room, and Jenny instantly went on alert. "What's that? How much of a danger is it?" she asked, crouching low just in case.

It was hard for Donna not to chuckle at the action. "Well, you're in danger of getting an ear battering or being fed to within an inch of your life," Donna flippantly remarked. "There isn't much danger, in other words. Once you've washed I'll introduce you to the family."

"I get to have a family?!" Jenny cried.

Donna quickly shushed her. "Yes, if you are presentable. Most people have a family of some sort. Even your father." That thought sobered her for a second. "I wonder if Jack knows where he is right now. I'll contact him as soon as you've eaten. You look as though you could do with a good meal inside you."

* * *

"Donna, who were you talking to?" Sylvia asked as soon as Donna appeared in the kitchen doorway. She became even more suspicious when Donna didn't instantly answer.

"Mum, I've got someone for you to meet," she began nervously, "and I get the feeling that you're not going to like it very much."

"You'll soon find out if you actually tell me," Sylvia snapped.

In answer, Donna looked behind her and then tugged on the pyjama-clad arm of a blonde young girl, bringing her into full view. "This is Jenny, mum," she announced. "My Jenny."

Sylvia alternated her gaze from the smiling girl to Donna and back. "Are you a lesbian now?" she eventually asked Donna.

"Oh no! No no no! It isn't like that," Donna insisted, waving her hands about desperately.

"What's a lesbian, Mum?" Jenny innocently asked.

Donna glared at Sylvia in response, and Sylvia gasped in shock. "What's going on? And why is she calling you 'Mum'?"

"Look, that's not important for a minute," Donna tried to counter, wanting to explain other, more important things.

But Jenny was full of curiosity, and touched Donna's arm to attract her attention. "Does she not know about Dad?"

"Who?!" Sylvia near shrieked. "Who's the father?"

Taking a deep, calming breath, Donna started to explain. "That was the part I didn't think you'd like." Trying not to look at Jenny's hurt and puzzled expression, she continued, "Jenny's dad is the Doctor… Now don't start! Hear me out."

"Her father?! But he… And you…? But you shouldn't…" Sylvia stalled as question upon question fought to be shouted out.

"Right, let's go through those one at a time. Yes, he is her father. Yes, he probably told you not to mention him ever again to me. No, I am not her biological mother unless something strayed at the time which I'm inclined to think could have happened, but that's by the by; and I'm definitely not her stepmother, unless you count…? No, I'll stick with the fact I'm probably not, but she is my daughter nevertheless. And no, I shouldn't remember any of this, but thanks to Jenny I can; quite safely. She saved me, Mum," Donna replied, hoping her mother would now show the girl some much needed love. "Why don't you say hello to your granddaughter?"

Sylvia's hand had gone from fluttering over her throat to cover her mouth. "My granddaughter," she faintly repeated. "I have a granddaughter?"

"Thanks to the Doctor, yes." Donna took hold of Jenny's hand and guided her over to where Sylvia stood by the sink. "This is Jenny."

"Hello," Jenny nervously greeted her, and smiled her brightest smile.

Sylvia tearfully waved her hand about for a few seconds and then softly said, "Come here." She instantly wrapped Jenny up in a warm hug that she eagerly returned.

"There you go," Donna sighed in relief. "What did you want Jenny to call you?"

"Oh, I erm… I suppose being called Gran would be lovely," Sylvia decided as she pulled slightly away.

"Hello Gran," Jenny beamed, and was hugged once again.

* * *

It didn't take long for Sylvia to phone her father and blurt out her good news. "You've got to come home, Dad, and meet her. She's such a lovely girl."

Overhearing the exchange, Donna could not have been more pleased with her mother's reaction if she tried.

In fact, Wilf came racing in through the door within ten minutes, eager to embrace his brand new great-granddaughter. For Jenny it was as if all her Christmases had come at once. There was only one way it could get better.

Wilf was so pleased to meet Jenny that he kept a tight hold of her hand even when his mug of tea was placed in front of him as they sat at the kitchen table.

"And you're definitely alright now?" he cautiously asked Donna as he peered intensely at her for any signs of trouble.

"Definitely!" she happily confirmed, having already told him the tale of how she had ceased being on the brink of death.

"So you'll now be looking for his Lordship," he remarked to Jenny. "He didn't look too well the last time I saw him."

"What do you mean 'the last time'?" Donna instantly demanded to know. "Have you seen him since I came back? When did you see him?"

"Well…" Wilf and Sylvia both looked pretty sheepish for a moment. "I was with him at Christmas," he continued, "when the big red planet appeared in the sky."

"You what?!" Donna near shrieked. "When did that happen? I don't remember that at all!"

"It was when you had that funny turn, and Shaun found you in the alleyway with those three dead people," Sylvia added.

"Who's Shaun?" Jenny piped up. "Is he another member of the family?"

"Not yet," Sylvia answered. "Donna is marrying him in a fortnight's time."

As Jenny threw Donna an accusational, worried and questioning glance, Donna paled and shook her head. "I'm not marrying him," she declared.

"What do you mean you're not marrying him?" Sylvia cried out. "The wedding is booked and everything!"

"Then I'll have to unbook it," Donna replied tersely.

"Mum, you can't marry someone else," Jenny tensely stated.

Donna reached out to place a consoling hand over Jenny's; and she gave it a squeeze. "I know, love. Don't you worry; I'll sort it all out."

"Sort what out?" Wilf queried. "Why can't you marry Shaun? He not good enough anymore now that Jenny is around?"

Donna blushed. "It isn't that, Gramps. The fact is, I erm…" She swept her gaze between her seated companions and winced guiltily. "I'm sort of married already."

Both Sylvia and Wilf gasped in shock.

"What do you mean?" Sylvia looked both puzzled and angry.

"Just tell her, Mum," Jenny gently encouraged.

Donna nervously licked her lips. "You see, when the metacrisis happened, I got all of the Doctor's knowledge, including stuff I should definitely have not known. And for Gallifreyans that means marriage; proper, eternal marriage."

"But you said…," Sylvia murmured and pointed towards Jenny faintly.

"When Jenny emerged I was just some friend…"

"You were never _just_ a friend, Mum," Jenny blurted out.

Donna patted her hand in thanks. "Okay, I wasn't a love interest in the Doctor's life. It sort of happened, like everything else seems to sort of happen when you're with him." She then thoughtfully added, "I dread to think what kind of effect this had on him. He would have gone completely barmy."

"Cos he missed you," Wilf pondered.

"No, because the whole marriage thing is linked to a Time Lord's sanity, so if I wasn't able to return the link, for want of a better phrase, then he would lose it big time," Donna explained. "He probably had a breakdown."

"Dad could be ill?" Jenny anxiously asked.

Donna slowly nodded. "I didn't want to say, but things could be fatal by now. We need to find him, Jenny. And we need to find him fast."

"I did tell him when your wedding was," Wilf admitted. "Do you think he'd turn up to see you off?"

"Oh!" Donna immediately clamped her hands over her mouth. "That's the sort of stupid sentimental thing he might do."

"Does this mean we wait for him at the church?" Jenny eagerly asked. "If we don't find him beforehand."

"I think this does," Donna happily answered. "Come on. We have some planning to do."

"Is this wedding on or off? I'm getting confused here," confessed Sylvia as she watched Donna and Jenny almost jump up out of their seats.

"The wedding is off. All hail the wedding!" Donna cheekily threw at them as she and Jenny left the kitchen.

"Don't ask me," Wilf answered Sylvia's unasked question when she looked at him, and resignedly quickly sipped his tea.

* * *

"Shaun, you know how in things like EastEnders they always have some long lost teenager turn up out of the blue and declare they are someone's son or daughter? Well, I've just had that happen." Donna then sat back and waited for the fireworks, having lit the blue touch paper.

Shaun sat stunned for several seconds, until finally a few words managed to make it out. "You have a long lost child?"

"Yes," she readily answered. "I have a daughter, called Jenny."

"Okay," Shaun slowly muttered. "I have the feeling that's not all."

"Well," Donna began, knowing the next part would affect him the most, "coming back to EastEnders, you know how when a couple on there go to get married and then somebody suddenly turns up at the church and says that they are already married, to them? Well, that's about to happen to me as well."

Shaun drew in a sharp breath. "And you have a secret husband somewhere?!"

"Yes, sort of. He's Jenny's dad," she admitted.

He stayed stunned at this news. "And you didn't know where they were for years and years?"

"I know this sounds completely weird, but yes, I didn't know where they were. In fact I thought Jenny was… dead." She nervously wrung her hands. "I knew I'd lost him forever, in a way. I felt his loss but I couldn't explain it."

"Why don't you try explaining it to me now?!" Shaun cried out. "How can you not know you had a husband and daughter, for goodness sake? Tell me how, Donna!"

She sighed, trying to think how to word her reply properly. "You already know about my memory loss. There was a terrible accident during that time all the planets were in the sky and Daleks were killing people. I gained a husband and then instantly lost everything that was good in my life."

"I don't understand," Shaun declared.

Okay, it was time to go for broke. "I also lost a son that day. I found him and I lost him! If I had been right in the head I would never have let that happen. But I wasn't. I was shot by this Dalek… thing! And somehow I lived; but I also died, Shaun. Are you getting the picture yet?!"

"Not really. But… your mum and Gramps never said you had children from a previous marriage. Why didn't they tell me?" he whined.

"I don't know! I was too busy trying to avoid dropping down dead to notice," she answered harshly, and instantly regretted it. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

The gears were whirling in his brain now. "At Christmas, you went all weird, and your grandfather was sneaking about with some bloke. They looked awfully pally. And he was stalking you; I saw him. He was watching you from the café down Richmond Road."

"He might have; he was here at Christmas," she reluctantly admitted. "There was a problem with his home, that he had to sort out, and he needed…"

"What did he need, Donna? Did he need you by any chance?" he sarkily wondered.

"As a matter of fact he did! Don't you dare talk about him like that. He's wonderful and dazzling. You don't understand how awful it's been for him. And I can give him something precious back. I can give him some of his family."

"Where do I fit into all this? Is there room for me as you all play happy families?!" Shaun almost spat at her.

She sadly shook her head, and told him calmly, "I'm sorry that I led you up the garden path, but my memory was shot to pieces and then I met you. I wish it meant I could stay with you but I have a daughter and a husband who need me. I can't go against that, I just can't. There is no way I can give him up."

"Then there's nothing left for me to say, is there?" he thrusted at her as he stood up to leave. "I suppose this is it. Goodbye, Donna."

"Goodbye, Shaun," she automatically responded. His anger was entirely understandable, and she should have been comforting him more; but her heart told her that the Doctor needed her far more, and always would.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **sorry for the delay but my migraines have hit hard again.**  
**

* * *

**Part 3**

.

Watching all this as she slowly devoured a large banana milkshake was Jenny. She had been warned that things could go rather heated whilst the explanations were made, but it was still a shock to experience for the first time in her young life. Needing to offer any comfort possible by her mere presence if nothing else, Jenny got up from her seat and walked over to where Donna sat forlornly at her café table. "That was Shaun, I suppose," she noted to break the silence. "I saw him go."

Donna turned her sad eyes onto her daughter. "Yes, love. That was him; although he's normally miles sweeter than that. He's too nice for his own good. As you saw, it didn't go awfully well, but then what did I expect? I've just chucked him over, for goodness sake."

"At least you didn't jilt him at the altar," Jenny offered in consolation.

"True," Donna answered with a guilty sigh. "Not like I did with Lance. Perhaps that's why he so eagerly tried to feed me to a spider?" she tried to jest. "Who am I kidding? He was planning to do that to me anyway. If it weren't for your dad I'd have been dead long ago." The last words came out on a sob.

Jenny rushed forward to engulf Donna in a hug. "We'll find Dad, don't worry, Mum. Between the two of us we're unstoppable."

"Yeah, about that. Jack said that he's not seen hide nor hair of your father, and if he was going to contact anyone it'd be Jack," Donna sadly told her.

"Why is that? What's so special about Jack?" Jenny wondered.

Donna gave a laugh. "If you'd met Jack you wouldn't need to ask me that. How can I put this? Jack is gorgeous, heroic and immortal. You'd never want to forget him."

Jenny gawped at her in shock. "Did you fancy him? But what about Dad?!"

Oh bugger! How should she explain this one? "It's not like that. Your dad could only think about Rose when I met Jack. She had been dragged up time and time again; and dangled in front of Martha for months. In fact he was moping about her when I first saw him. So there he was, being monopolised by Rose returning to this universe, hugging her like crazy, and I was standing there like a gooseberry. What was I supposed to do? I'm flesh and blood after all."

"What did you do?" Jenny asked cautiously, expecting some sort of adult rated response.

"I asked Jack for a hug, that's all. And the bugger wouldn't do it," Donna answered bitterly. "I finally meet the Casanova of deep space, and he turns his nose up at me."

"I'm sure there was a good reason," Jenny offered, whilst wondering what the matter with Jack was.

"I shall never know now," Donna replied. "It proves how special Shaun was in wanting to marry me; and I just let him go."

Jenny decided it was best to ignore the tears that were slowly dribbling down Donna's cheeks, beyond picking up and pushing forward a paper serviette towards her. Donna gratefully accepted it and dabbed at her eyes.

"Do you love Shaun?" Jenny asked softly. "If you do I'm sure Dad could find a way to release you."

"It's too late now," Donna sighed. "What I felt for Shaun has almost gone; and anyway, I have you back in my life. What more could I want?" She weakly smiled.

Strangely enough, Jenny could now imagine what else Donna might have wanted, but she kept schtum for the time being on that matter. Instead she changed the subject. "Did Jack say anything else?"

Donna brightened a little bit. "He said Martha is with Mickey Smith. You'd like him. I met him the day of the Dalek thing. He's quite handsome and he seemed really nice, so I'm pleased for her. Martha deserves some happiness." She went to drink from the cup in front of her and then scowled when she realised she had already finished it. "Jack might be coming up to London if he can get away from Cardiff. He seemed keen to meet you."

"Me?!" Jenny squeaked in surprise.

"I'd better warn you; Jack has a thing for your dad. Has done for ages, therefore, you being his daughter would spark lots of interest," Donna explained. "We'll know exactly how much when he appears."

What exactly did she mean by 'a thing'? "Won't he be coming to see you too?"

"I suppose so. I did deliberately emphasise you are my daughter. We can't have him getting his mucky maulers on you, can we?" Donna smiled at her sweetly.

Did that mean..? "Is he likely to try and seduce me?!"

"As I said, Jack is a Casanova." Donna lifted her hand and flexed her fingers. "If he lays so much as a finger on you I'll do more than slap him. Let's put it this way, he'll lose lots more than a life when I get my hands on him."

Jenny couldn't help laughing loudly at the image that conjured up.

* * *

Donna had just stepped off a bus when she heard a male voice call out, "Donna!"

She turned to see who could be shouting for her attention, and spotted Jack running down the pavement towards her, all superhero-like with his coat fanning out behind him. It was a pretty good look, she had to concede. "Jack!" she yelled back and waved like a loon.

He raced up and grasped her hands. "How are you? It's good to see you whole again."

"It's just generally good to see you," she enthused. "Everything okay in Cardiff?"

"It is now," he answered with obvious relief. "Things can get a bit difficult, especially when Weevils start coming through the Rift."

"What are they?" she immediately asked. "I think I know what the Rift is."

"They're annoying creatures that cause more problems than they are worth. And talking of the Rift…" Jack let go to scramble through his pockets. "This came through the Rift yesterday, with a note attached, would you believe?"

Donna eyed the box in his hands with great interest. "A note, you say?"

Jack immediately handed over a small, linen-based piece of paper with printed writing on it.

It read: 'Please give this to her. She will know what to do with it.'

Hmm, interesting. Donna raised her eyes back to Jack. "That box does look familiar, I will admit. I wonder if Jenny can explain more."

"And where is Jenny? I can't wait to meet her," Jack eagerly replied.

"Follow me," Donna said using her best seductive voice; and laughed when he reacted with an embarrassed expression. Yeah, she'd get him back for before.

* * *

They walked along chatting about everyday life in Torchwood, Martha, and the banalities of travelling to London. There was an easy air between them by the time they reached Donna's home, and she was giggling at Jack as she opened the front door.

"Hello! Is anyone home?" she threw out as she walked in and took off her coat.

"Is that you, Mum?" Jenny called down the stairs, and then ran down. She stopped short as soon as she saw Jack. "Hello," she politely said.

"Hello! I'm Captain Jack Harkness. You must be Jenny," he schmoozed her, holding out a hand in greeting.

Jenny reluctantly accepted his handshake. "Yes, I am. You must be Jack the hug avoider."

"Pardon?!" He turned to ask Donna, "What is she on about?"

"Oh, nothing; just the fact you don't give out hugs," she intoned.

"What? I give out hugs. Come here and let me show you," Jack insisted as he stared at Jenny.

But Jenny thwarted his efforts by sticking out a hand to push against his chest. "Sorry. If Mum isn't good enough to hug then nor am I."

Jack whirled indignantly to face Donna. "Why is she saying that?"

"'She' is saying that because you refused to hug Mum," Jenny explained. "I bet you didn't today either."

"Ah!" Jack slightly blushed. "No I didn't; but then I wouldn't."

The sight of Jenny scowling at him was not a good one.

"Why not?" she demanded to know.

"Jenny, it doesn't matter," Donna tried to ease the sudden tension by saying.

"It does!" Jenny insisted. "Well?!" She glared at Jack.

"I erm…," Jack blustered.

"See! I told you," Donna said with a very hurt tone. "Can we leave this alone now, please?"

Jack grabbed hold of her arm to demand her attention. "Did you really think I didn't want to hug you? I assure you I did. The fact is I couldn't."

"I didn't see the special shackles holding you back, nor did I see the gunman holding a gun to your head at close range," Donna mocked him.

"No," he agreed. "But you did see the Doctor."

"You what? Now that takes the biscuit. You're blaming him?!" That had to be the limit! Donna couldn't see what the Doctor had to do with it at all.

"Yes. As his wife you are clearly off limits to me," Jack reluctantly admitted.

"I wasn't then," Donna spat out.

"You were," Jack disagreed. "You had been since I saw you on the news." When they both looked confused, he added, "I saw you both on the news during the Christmas Star incident. It was a very fetching wedding dress, by the way."

"That wasn't a real wedding, you numpty!" Donna stormed. "He merely gave me a biodamper."

Jack raised an eyebrow in query. "Did he say words and you answered?"

"Well… yeah; but we didn't mean it," she confessed. "It was just for a laugh."

"Doesn't matter. You made vows that started the whole process; and therefore I am not allowed to touch you." Jack stood completely vindicated.

"Oh bugger!" she exclaimed.

"Does this make you my real mother?" Jenny wondered innocently.

Donna eyed Jack suspiciously before answering, "I'm going to say yes." That should give him fair warning, she thought.

"Maybe I should show Jenny the box I was sent?" Jack quickly offered, and they headed towards the kitchen to discuss it.

* * *

Jack couldn't miss all the paperwork sitting on the sideboard. "What are you planning? It looks like a wedding," he jested as he sat down at the dining table.

Donna sat cautiously down opposite him and shot Jenny a guilty look. "Yes, it was a wedding for quite a while; but now it isn't."

"Isn't?" he echoed. "Has it turned into a divorce celebration?"

"Not yet," Donna replied. "Not that it hasn't lost its chance yet. No, I'm thinking of keeping the celebration part and turning it into a 'Welcome To The Family' do for Jenny. You're invited, of course, with whoever your plus one is. I'm going to invite Martha and Mickey too, if that helps."

He smiled encouragingly back, suddenly very pleased with this invite, and full of curiosity about seeing the Doctor interact with a daughter. Imagining the Doctor being all domestic was quite a task for him. "I'd love to come," he enthused. "Will the ex-lucky groom be there?"

"What, Shaun?" Donna queried, and snorted with derision. "I doubt very much. We'll probably never see him again, and he'd be right to avoid me."

"Mum, don't be so hard on yourself," Jenny practically cooed as she reached out to place a comforting hand on Donna. "This isn't your fault."

"Yeah… well…," Donna spluttered and wiped at her eyes. "I needn't have encouraged him in the first place. It was doomed from the off, and I should have known to listened to my instincts."

"I could always arrange to retcon him if you like," Jack offered. "If you think it would be kinder."

"No!" Donna fervently denied, making him jump with the hidden pain. A pain that he knew all too well. "It's better to know why your heart aches."

He couldn't help agreeing with her opinion; although he couldn't help wondering whether her heart ached for a particular Time Lord. She was linked to him, that much was clear; otherwise she would never have given up this Shaun guy. "Are many going to this family party?" he openly wondered instead.

"Not as many as with the original plan," Donna allowed the small joke to pass her lips. "Most of my family think I'm mad to replace the wedding, but they'll soon understand when they meet Jenny." A proud smile planted itself on her face.

"What covering story are you using to explain who she is?" Jack was deeply curious to know.

"We can't decide to go with teen pregnancy and adopted, or stay nearer the truth and say I married her father and she's my step-daughter."

Jack found them both looking at him expectantly, so he was obviously the first one they were trying this idea out on. "With both cases it brings the question 'where is the father?'" he said with cautious tact. "But the second sounds more plausible."

"Does Dad have to be mentioned?" Jenny pondered.

"People will definitely ask," Donna answered, somewhat sadly. "It's just natural nosiness. I wish I had a greater entitlement to you."

"You do!" Jenny sought to appease her angst. "You were the first woman I ever saw; and when I saw you standing together I genuinely thought you and Dad…"

"You weren't the only one, love. Blimey, if I had a pound for every time someone assumed we were a couple I'd have a healthier bank account," Donna joked.

"Did it happen a lot then?" Jack couldn't help asking.

Donna laughed. "Yeah! All over the place. Even a giant spider thought it!"

Jack joined in with their giggles; it felt so good to hear them being hale and hearty. "I take it that you have some sort of a plan to get the Doctor here, and that this…" He brought out the box and placed it on the table in front of them. "…has something to do with that."

As Jenny eyed the box with wonder and gently picked it up to examine it, Donna replied, "The box is a new addition, so we're obviously are meant to use it. No, the idea was to try and catch him when he returned to see my wedding. And I know that there is no bridegroom anymore to lure him here with, so Jack… I was wondering. Would you or anyone you know be willing to stand-in for me? Just long enough to look convincing? I promise no vows will be said this time!"

A slow sly smile spread across Jack's countenance. "I think I know just the man to help us."

The smile grew into an ecstatic grin when both women leaned across and kissed his cheek.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** I was going to end it here BUT there are lots of things that need explaining in this. Hence the fact I've already started the sequel... And will add it on or post it separately as "Following The Star".

* * *

**Part Four**

.  
The Doctor stepped into the TARDIS, any possible joy on his face wiped after handing Wilf his parting gift of a lottery ticket; gone to allow the full force of pain to hit him. He stumbled to the console, determined to enter the coordinates for New Year's Eve 2004.

He'd gone to Donna's wedding wanting to feel happy for her, but seeing her come out of the church in the way she had, well, it wasn't going to happen. Instead his hearts panged as he had stood there, slowly breaking as he spiralled mentally downwards.

As his hand reached out to turn a dial, he felt the strange but yet familiar presence behind him. "It's too late for the Ghost of Christmas Past!" he cried out. "I already know what I lost."

There was a snort of disagreement. "I don't think you do," a voice stated.

He whirled round in horror. "What? Is this some trick? You're dead, and that's the end of it."

Jenny brought her hand up and deliberately pinched his arm. "I don't think I am. In fact I'd go as far as saying I'm quite healthy."

He rubbed where she had pinched him, scowling slightly, as he tried to work this puzzle out. "Since when did you speak using Donna's voice?" he quizzed the person before him.

"I don't," Jenny insisted. "But she does," she added, pointing behind him.

In a split second he turned in the direction Jenny pointed and found himself gazing at Donna Noble. "Donna?! Are you dead already?"

"What is it with you and demanding people be dead all of a sudden?" Donna grouched. "I'm as dead as you are. Although that isn't saying much at the moment."

"Mum, that isn't nice considering Dad is dying," Jenny admonished her.

Donna shrugged dismissively. "I'm just saying what we're all thinking. And he started it!"

"What?" the Doctor blurted out in shock again.

"Oh, right," Donna remarked, bring her thoughts under control. "You want to know what's happening, don't you, Spaceman? Jenny calls me 'Mum' now, and... Well, that wasn't me you saw out there coming from the church."

"How?" he stammered.

"Do you remember the neat trick you did with the hologram? I just extrapolated that one. You think you saw me out there when it wasn't," Donna explained.

"It was very easy to do," Jenny added. "I'm surprised you didn't use a better version."

The Doctor stood gawping at the pair of them.

"Aw look! He's doing the cute puppy bit again," Donna remarked whimsically to Jenny. "The eyelid will twitch as well in a minute."

"Now look here!" he spat out in anger. "I am dying here and all you can do is take cheap pot shots at my dignity."

Donna smirked knowingly at him. "No you're not. I've already dealt with that. It was all Jenny's idea."

"What?!" he spluttered.

"Seriously, Spacemen; you really should get yourself a new word," Donna mocked him as she swept up and closed his open mouth by tipping up his jaw with one finger. "We don't want you catching flies."

"Mum!" Jenny giggled. "You are the limit!"

"But… what did you do?" the Doctor wondered, finally getting his voice properly back.

"We found this," Jenny said, holding out a small crystallised box in the palm of her hand.

"Part of the Key to Time," he said softly. "Where did you get it?"

Jenny exchanged a glance with Donna. "I was loaned it, by really nice man who insisted I show it to you."

"Loaned?" he echoed, clearly worried. "But that thing is dangerous! You need to get rid of it!"

"And we will," Donna calmly assured him. "We promised to give it back straight away."

He started to say something to complain about this, but he suddenly realised Jenny was affecting him. "What are you doing? I feel… it's draining…"

"Is it working?" Jenny anxiously asked. She smiled when Donna reassuringly touched her shoulder.

"It seems to be, love," Donna commented. "His colour is much better."

"Oi! I am in the room!" he grumbled.

"Funnily enough I had noticed," she sarkily reminded him. "You've stopped glowing for a start!"

"I have," he noted, lifting up a hand to double check.

"See! You were Time Lord enough after all, Jenny," she brightly pointed out. "You've saved your dad's life."

"I have, haven't I?" Jenny crowed. She then reverently put down the Key of Time part that she had been holding in her hands.

"I'm not sure you are supposed to use it for such a personal purpose, but I'm extremely grateful that you did." The Doctor beamed at his daughter happily. "You're alive! I never thought…" It was beyond him to wait any longer before sweeping her up in his arms. "You're alive," he emotionally mumbled into her hair.

"Not only that, but she turned up and healed me," Donna eagerly added to his sense of pride. When he guiltily looked up at her, Donna added, "Don't worry about me; carry on hugging her. She deserves it for rescuing you."

"I can't…," he tried to express his disbelief as he continued to cling onto Jenny.

"It's okay, I understand." Donna fondly smiled at them. "How about I go and do us all something special to celebrate? I'll give you a shout when it's ready." With that, she left them to finish their poignant reunion, and headed for the kitchen.

Once there she decided to try baking a cake as some sort of a peace offering. Opening the kitchen cabinets it was soon clear that the TARDIS was keen for her to make the Doctor's favourite chocolate cake; so she set to work.

* * *

Jenny eventually let go of him long enough to pull back and ask, "Why didn't you hug Mum? Does anyone want to?"

"What do you mean?" the Doctor queried.

"It's just… Lots of people have offered to hug me, but since I've known Mum the only person who was willing to hug her is Gramps," she explained.

"I've hugged Donna lots of times," he indignantly defended himself.

She warily peered at him. "Perhaps Jack got it wrong about you two, and you don't care anymore."

"What do you mean, anymore?" he spluttered. "I have just come from her wedding, utterly heartbroken that it is the last time I'd ever see her. Or at least I thought it was the last time."

"Where were you planning to go next?" she wondered. "You were setting coordinates before you spotted us."

"I erm… I was going to go and see…" Jenny quirking an eyebrow at him made him own up completely. "I was going to see Rose in 2004."

"Oh," Jenny softly exclaimed thoughtfully, and then slightly teared up as she reached her conclusion. "It must have been hard for you to give her up and accept second best. I'll go and help Mum." She turned away from him.

"Wait!" he cried out, halting her progress. "What's this about second best?"

"Nothing," she said far too brightly. "I'm just trying to work it all out in my head, that's all." She then anxiously rubbed her hands together. "It seems very sad that you've accidentally ended up married when you obviously love someone else. No doubt you'll find a nice way to release Mum."

The Doctor was so shocked by her words he let her go; and she hurried to where the TARDIS had told her Donna was. He was still pondering the situation when he sauntered into the kitchen and found Donna putting the finishing touches to a meal.

Seeing him arrive, she lifted her head and gave him her cheeriest smile. "I did us a shepherd's pie; I hope you don't mind."

If his happy smile wasn't enough, he licked his lips in anticipation. "That sounds divine," he enthused.

Donna was pleased to see him and Jenny tuck in with gusto; but her own appetite was somewhat suppressed. After all, she didn't know where she stood with him anymore. Did the invite to travel with him still stand? Would he want her around now that he had Jenny to show off to? She was linked to him, but it wasn't as if he chose to be, so there was no telling how he would deal with that. And there was the matter of the job she had tried to wangle out of Jack, on the basis that she still had some of the Doctor's knowledge in her head. It wasn't much to recommend her, but it was a start.

It was clear that the Doctor was delighted to have Jenny back in his life. All of his conversation had flowed towards her so far. Had she royally ballsed things up for herself by being with Jenny? You can't compensate for real family after all.

"Why don't you give Jenny the grand tour while I clear things away?" she offered him as she stood up, giving him no room to argue with her. It would buy her more time on board whilst she did. "I'll have tea and cake ready for when you're done."

Both the Doctor and Jenny had looked pleased with that, so she shooed them away and tackled assembling a gooey chocolate concoction worthy of Nigella herself!

* * *

She was expecting happy chattering laughter when they returned, but instead the Doctor entered on his own. Instantly Donna's hopes sank. This was it; he was going to dump her back home. "Banned Jenny from eating any cake, have you?" she jested. "I'll wrap her up some for later."

"Donna, leave it for now," he quietly told her.

"I can't; it'll go dry if I don't," she insisted, and bustled about as she avoided looking at him.

"Donna! Just stop, will you?" he pleaded, and caught hold of her arm.

"Sorry, Spaceman. I don't want it to go to waste after all my efforts," she apologetically explained. "Tea? I've made some tea. Where is Jenny? I thought she would have been back by now."

"Donna…"

But she was ignoring him. "I'll pour the tea out, and _then_you can do your thing."

"What thing?" he queried.

She waved her hand about. "I know you want to dump me off, but can I spend just a little more time with Jenny before I go? I promise not to get in the way too much."

"That's not how it's going to happen," he stated.

"It's not?" She tried to hold in her disappointment. "I'll erm… I'd better go and find Jenny to say goodbye then."

He frowned at her. "Why would you want to do that?"

"D'uh! She's my daughter as far as we are concerned, she gave me back my life and I want to say goodbye before I go. Is that too much to ask?"

"No it isn't," he agreed, "if you were actually leaving. But you aren't."

It was her turn to look confused. "You're not dumping me?"

"Why would I?" he reasoned. "What exactly did Jack say to you both when he handed over that box?"

So he knew that part? She quickly tried to reassure him. "Ah. Jenny told you that, eh? In his defence he had no idea who would have sent it through the Rift, so please don't blame him. He brought it straight to Jenny, and never laid a finger on her; I made sure of that."

He took his time to mull this over and then quiz her, "What about you? Did he lay a finger on you?"

Daft Martian! "No; but then he wouldn't. You won't believe this, but he even fed me some lame excuse why he didn't touch me the day of the Daleks. It gave me a good laugh."

"I assume it contained the word 'marriage'," he contemplated.

"How did you know that? I suppose Jenny told you. Anyway, it sort of did," she admitted.

It was just as he thought. "Jenny seemed upset that I had accidentally married, and regretted leaving Rose behind on Pete's world."

Donna leapt to Jenny's defence. "She's an intelligent, sensitive girl. Of course she would be like that. I wish I could take some of the credit."

"I partially said the wedding vows whilst placing a ring on your wedding finger. That doesn't sound like an accident to me," he pointed out.

There was some truth in that. "Okay, perhaps we'll change the label to 'unfortunate' then?"

Oh dear! She wasn't making this easy for him. "I also recall being downbeat about Rose returning when we were alone in the TARDIS, and then later deliberately taking her back to Pete's world. In fact, I'm sure I told her that I had you when she asked me what I'd do."

"Well, yeah," Donna started to reluctantly agree. "You did say that, but… I don't think you meant it like that. You were just saying it to shut her up."

"Let's consider this question then," he proposed. "If I was madly in love with her, why did I choose you over her?"

She made no attempt to hide her confusion. "I dunno. That one has been puzzling me too."

Good grief! She was really making it difficult for him to get through to her. "Donna, what have you been referring to me as lately? Why did you break things off with Shaun?"

"I erm… I told him I was already married, with a son and a daughter," she admitted, immediately worried when she saw the angry expression on the Doctor's face. "And I know I wasn't supposed to mention him, but I can't let him go that easily!"

"Are you angry with me?" he gently asked.

"For that I am," she freely admitted.

"Fair enough," he commented, not knowing how to answer and unwilling to voice his reasons. "I was thinking… Why don't we go somewhere as a family and see some sights?"

So he was trying to distract her, eh? "Does this somewhere include a guided tour of some dark corridors closely followed by being shown into a scenic dungeon?"

He anxiously rubbed the back of his neck. "Hopefully not. I was thinking of a trip to a beach," he pondered optimistically.

Donna knew he was trying to partly make things up to her, and quietly resolved to have words later on. For now they were supposed to be celebrating Jenny returning from the dead and finding her family. "Okay then, let's go find a beach." She quickly added, "Make it a warm beach this time, Time boy."

"You'll have to bribe me with tea and chocolate cake, Earth girl," he teased; and was pleased when she swatted him. Things were on the up.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** in case it isn't obvious, this is the sequel I promised...d'uh! I amaze myself sometimes. ;D

* * *

**[aka Following The Star]  
**

**Part 5**

.

Jenny was carefully folding her clothes when Donna eventually found her in the bedroom the TARDIS had assigned her. During the two weeks she had spent with Donna alone she had built up a fairly decent basic wardrobe.

"There you are!" Donna happily declared as she entered Jenny's room. "I was beginning to think you'd been stolen."

"Well, I had, sort of, by the TARDIS," Jenny admitted. "She seduced me with her beauty. There are so many rooms in here to explore! However did you manage to go outside with Dad?"

"A case of having to, most of the time," Donna drily replied. "Plus, I wanted to see a new planet. You know how exciting that is."

"Oh I do!" Jenny enthused, and finished putting her things away. "Are we going to a new planet right this minute?"

There was nothing that could stop Donna smiling at that thought. "Apparently we are. We've been promised a nice quiet family holiday together."

"Mum," Jenny began anxiously. "What exactly _is_a family holiday?"

"When I was a kid it was going to a holiday camp like Butlins, but set in Spain," Donna explained. "So not what we want at all since I want to spend time with you rather send you off with some holiday rep."

Jenny was just as confused as before. Seeing this, Donna moved closer and gave Jenny a consoling hug. "As long as we spend time doing what we want, without being threatened, then it's a family holiday. But I've asked for a warm beach."

Now that sounded better to Jenny's ears. Spending time with her parents was exactly what she had been hoping to achieve. There was just the small matter of finding out what a beach was…

* * *

"Why haven't you changed, Donna?" the Doctor asked her as soon as she entered the console room. "We've landed on Lolandia; just as I promised."

"Why? Cos I know you, that's why. I wanted to make sure this place actually had a beach before I bothered to change into something more appropriate," she answered. "I've got our swimming costumes laid out on the bed, ready and waiting."

"Our?" he queried, raising an eyebrow to add to the effect.

But she wasn't biting yet. Instead she moved to the TARDIS doors and opened them to view the landscape outside before making a suitable retort.

"Ah! A beach," she sighed happily, "with added sunshine. Just what the DoctorDonna ordered." She then turned to beam at him. "Thank you, Spaceman. I'll go and get changed. Are you getting out of that hot suit?"

He looked down at himself. "No, I…" But by the time he looked up again she had left him all alone.

Was it him or was she avoiding him? Normally he would have expected to put up a verbal fight to stop her pestering him over his choice; whether it be his clothing or their destination.

To break him from his thoughts there were sudden loud giggles from somewhere down the corridor, from the direction of Jenny. No doubt Donna was amusing her again. They seemed to get on so well, he was pleased to note.

Jenny appeared back in the console room first, wearing small shorts and an open neck blouse unbuttoned down as far as her cleavage. The Doctor frowned at her. "That's a bit revealing, isn't it," he commented.

"Give over!" Donna chastised him as she joined them. "She's wearing a bikini underneath it. Lend us a hand and hold some of this would you?"

His attention was momentarily taken by Donna's outfit; she was swathed in a large hat, sunglasses and a cotton smock. If it wasn't for her long bare legs he'd have wondered if anyone was actually there.

He instantly found towels, bags and a snorkel thrust into his hands. "What's all this?" he wondered as he juggled with numerous items.

"Beach stuff," Jenny brightly told him. "Mum said we'd need it all."

"We will?" he questioned as he eyed the amount of things they were carrying out.

"Of course," Donna answered confidently. She then proceeded to point to each collection of goodies. "We have to sit on something; towels to dry off, sun screen, sun hats, an emergency first aid kit, and a picnic."

"I've never been on a picnic," Jenny enthused, almost bouncing with excitement.

"Never?! Ooh, you're in for a treat," he promised, beaming at her; and readily followed them out of the door.

* * *

The scene before them was beautiful, with rolling hills that hugged the coastline, a wide bay with fine sand that swept up to a deep blue sea, and nothing but lush foliage for the eye to see inland. The whole effect was of somewhere completely untouched by intelligent, or unintelligent, hands.

Donna gave out a low whistle. "You've exceeded yourself, Spaceman. Talk about romantic getaway!" She then realised what she had said, and gave a cough. "I mean, unspoilt holiday destination, for our family… thingamajig."

"What's a thingamajig, Mum?" Jenny inevitably asked when she heard the strange word.

"It's erm…," Donna faltered, and decided distraction was the best tactic. "Would you look at that! Isn't it beautiful? Not every sea view is this good, Jenny." She then glanced towards the Doctor, but he was making himself useful by dumping their goodie bags and setting up a sunbed for her. Aw, wasn't he sweet?

Jenny held a hand up to shield her eyes as she peered into the distance. "What sort of thing can go wrong?"

"You know; piers, power stations, oil rigs, gas pipes," Donna supplied. "What have you seen spoil sea views, Doctor?"

He straightened up and considered this question. "Dockyards aren't always pretty, nor are some fisheries," he replied. "This is one of the best views I've ever seen. Anyway, your sun lounger awaits, milady."

"Thank you, Parker," Donna said in her best posh voice, making Jenny giggle. "You may run along."

Oh, she wasn't going to get rid of him that easily. "Would milady need me to assist her further? I am sure the view can be considered from a different viewpoint."

Reverting back to a course London accent, Donna told him, "Nah! Ta very much. I'm going to have myself a bit of sunbathing while you two play at rock pools. But you'll have to roll your trousers up. Can you cope with exposing so much of your body?"

The cheeky minx, he thought, as her eyes flashed mischievously at him. He'd show her that he was capable of enjoying a beach! "Come on, Jenny. Let's see what new creatures we can find."

Jenny squealed with delight as she ran towards the water's edge with him. And Donna happily watched them go as she prepared herself to ease her body down onto the canvas sunbed the Doctor had set up for her.

The sun beat down, warming her skin despite the cool breeze that was coming off the sea; so she rifled through one of the bags and triumphantly brought out a large bottle of sun cream to apply. Now where was that girl? "Jenny! You'll need some sunscreen on!" she called out.

"Here I am," Jenny said from behind her. "What do I do with it?"

So Donna proceeded to show how to apply it to all her exposed skin, as well as the parts that would show once Jenny removed her sorts and blouse. "Can't have you getting sunstroke, can we? Send your father over, as he will need some too," Donna ordered Jenny before she disappeared to go exploring again.

Time to ditch the sundress, she decided, and slowly unbuttoned it before she peeled it from her body,dug out a sarong from a nearby bag and loosely wrapped it around her hips. Then the process of splodging on cream started.

The Doctor had stood unnoticed enjoying the striptease, wondering how long he would be able to get away with it. Surprisingly long in the circumstances; not that he was complaining. Donna moving without being self-conscious about her body was a sight to behold; and he found that he was mesmerised by the sight. In the flattering light of Lolandia, Donna positively glowed and he found his senses kept landing on the same word: gorgeous.

Finally he forced himself to say something in order to stop himself from doing something stupid. "Do you need a hand with that?" he asked as he took possession of the bottle.

She saw the sun cream container disappear out of her hands, and would have complained, but he stood so expectantly in front of her that she didn't have the heart to berate him. Instead, she softly answered, "Yes please."

"I'll do all of your back then," he announced, and moved behind her.

She stood stock still, not knowing how to respond properly without lashing out, verbally or otherwise. As it was, she was compelled to close her eyes when she felt his hands tenderly smooth over her back, rubbing in the lotion to cover her shoulders, upper arms, lower back, and then down to the backs of her thighs. It was as good as a massage; and she had to bite her lips to stop a moan of appreciation escaping out.

Could she hear his breathing change? Was she even aware of the way the strokes his fingers were making changed from being practical to increasingly tender sweeps of pent up passion? Did her relaxed pose mean she could feel all this and approved, or was she merely responding to the ambience of the beach? It was all so new and puzzling for him. He could feel her contentment through their tenuous link, but it was nowhere near to being what it could be between them. If that were to happen they would have to be bound together more intimately; and he really shouldn't be thinking along those lines when his hands were caressing her naked skin!

He risked peering over her shoulder and at her face to see if she was angry, trying not to look downwards, obviously; but what he saw pleased him immensely. Her expression was almost rapturous. Could this mean…? "Donna?" he softly asked.

At the sound of his voice her eyes shot open. "Oh! Sorry Spaceman. You'll want me to do you now, won't you?"

He gawped at her. "I erm… yes… erm… I'd like…"

"Give it here," she fondly ordered him, and took the bottle from out of his hand. "Turn round and I'll do your neck."

Obediently, he turned around and undid his top shirt buttons so that she could get to his neck. Within seconds cool sunscreen was being rubbed into his neck; his sensitive, tingling, neck. "Oh yes!" he blurted out before he could stop himself; and then all too soon it stopped.

"All done!" Donna proclaimed. "Unless you are going to go the whole hog?"

"Pardon?" He blinked at her in confusion.

"The shirt," she explained, pointing at his chest. "If you take it off I'll do your back."

"Oh no!" he declined. "I won't be doing that out here."

"Suit yourself." She gave a shrug. "It was just a suggestion. I'll get back to sunning myself, like a beached whale." There was an accompanying self-deprecating laugh.

"Donna," he began seriously, standing over her now reclined figure. "You are nothing like a whale or any other sea creature; except perhaps a beautiful mermaid."

Deeply embarrassed, she swatted at his leg. "Geroff! For that you've earned yourself an extra sandwich, and maybe a piece of cake."

He caught her hand and gave it a squeeze. "Then I shall continue to say such things to you," he said with a smile, and started to bring her hand up to his lips.

"Dad! Come and look at this! What is it called?" Jenny called out to him then, and he eagerly slipped into teacher mode to feed her enthusiasm.

* * *

They had had a very pleasant picnic lunch, unhindered by the usual mob of marauding flies that tend to accost you when you try to do such things; and they laughed together at all the things Jenny had discovered. It also amused Donna endlessly that as the day had marched on, the Doctor had rolled up his trouser legs more, his shirt sleeves had progressed further up his arm, and his shirt buttons had gradually become more and more undone. By the end of the afternoon he looked thoroughly relaxed and seemed to be enjoying himself immensely.

He caught her looking at him with a knowing grin on her face. "What have I done now?" he asked her anxiously. "Is there something on my face?" He wiped his hand down over his mouth just in case.

What a prawn! She couldn't help smiling fondly at him. "No, I'm just making the most of seeing you happy," she stated. Leaning in, she pondered, "Do you have any idea what I want to do right now?"

He moved slightly nearer in anticipation. "No. You'll have to show me."

She leaned forward, and he was forced to contemplate her ample bosom. "I'm going to do something I haven't done in ages."

A squeak escaped his lips before he coughed it away. "You haven't?" he faintly asked.

"Here goes," she announced, and launched herself out of her seat.

With increasing disappointment he saw her stride down the beach and into the waiting waves, to dive below the surface and then moments later rise up with a squeal of delight. Jenny raced in to try out this new phenomenon, yelling out with glee as she discovered how much fun the sea can be.

That was it! The Doctor had had enough! He stood up and began to strip off. Why should he miss out on all the fun? This was a family experience after all, and he should be enjoying it with his wife and daughter. Revealing a pair of modest swimming shorts, he flung off his footwear and ran back down the sand to join in with their antics. Within minutes they were having the time of their life, leaping about in the water.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **I apologise for the delay in posting this, but I've only just been able to stand looking at the computer screen long enough to post this.**  
**

* * *

**Part 6**

.

Having playfully pushed Jenny away, Donna climbed up onto a rock to grab a breather and survey how far she was from the shoreline. This place was fantastic! Whatever had made the Doctor chose it had to be rewarded. Now what could she do…? From her position she could see a clear pathway back to the area of sand they had temporarily claimed as home, so she eased herself back into the water.

As she did so, an object thrust up through the breaking wave, scaring her half to death at the sudden danger. Until the said object proved to be the Doctor messing about.

Donna shrieked and instinctively threw her hands over her body to hide herself. "What the blazes are you playing at?! You almost gave me a heart attack then!"

He grinned impishly at her. "It's only me; not some sea monster."

That didn't stop Donna hitting him hard across the shoulder. Except her hand didn't quite finish the action, and he deftly caught her wrist before she made contact, and used the momentum to pull her body flush with his as the waves crashed around, over, and on them.

Time seemed to slow down around them as they gazed intensely at each other; every nerve went on alert, shouting out information about their close proximity with only two thin layers of material between their exposed flesh. They were aware of blood pulsing around bodies, the slide caused by the action of the waves, pressing them incrementally closer still as lesser gravitational forces took over, and the temptation of plump, full lips beckoned.

It was the waves that forced her arm to wrap around his neck, Donna told herself. The force also changed his grip on her wrist, so that his hand trailed down her arm. Water sucked bodies together; it was a well-known fact. She'd almost lay money on it.

It was their bond drawing her into his arms, the Doctor told himself. The raw magnetism of their fledgling link was forcing them to convert it into the real thing. Not long now, and she would properly be his forever; taking away the agony that the incompleteness was causing him. It wasn't a question of choice now, he needed her to love him back; and here she was, offering herself up to him like a godly sacrifice. Every single sense in his body reached out to welcome her in as they softly groaned out a homing call.

Jenny had dripped her way over to investigate the earlier noise of fear. "What's going on? Did something bite you, Mum?" she innocently asked when she saw her father holding her mother with such care. Part of Jenny was very pleased to see he was giving that long waited for hug, even if some danger had caused it.

The spell between the Doctor and Donna was instantly broken.

Feeling a bit stupid now for having freaked out, Donna answered, "It's was just your dad scaring me for a second. Nothing to worry about. Shall we have something to drink? I bet you're thirsty."

Jenny didn't need to think about this question. "I am. Is there anything left to eat as well?" she wondered hopefully.

There was an answering laugh. "You are truly your father's daughter."

"Oi!" he inevitably protested.

"And I wouldn't have you any other way," she told him, and broke away from his embrace to see to Jenny's needs.

* * *

Having drank some juice and enjoyed some cake, Jenny returned to investigate some rock pools while Donna and the Doctor opted to relax for a while first before moving. Okay, the Doctor had an ulterior motive, and wanted to talk privately with Donna.

In fact he actually told her so when they laid down on the sand in mutual companionship.

As they lay there soaking up the sun together, Donna couldn't help fretting that the Doctor's silence was leading up to a gentle let-down regarding his feelings, a certain blonde ex-companion and how things would be in the future; since he hadn't actually said what he wanted to discuss yet. If it was good news for her surely he would have blurted it out by now?

"I love it here, Spaceman. Thank you for choosing Leylandii, or whatever the heck its name is," Donna announced after some moments. Well, it was safe ground to start off with, she decided.

"It's called Lolandia," he chuckled.

"Close," she retorted on a giggle.

"You deserved a beach like this," he softly insisted, not realising he was gazing at her with the adored expression again.

She squirmed under such a gaze. If he knew about the arranged party she wanted him to take them to would he stay so relaxed and happy? She _really_ didn't want to burst his bubble and make him possibly angry, but he needed to know eventually. "Now that we've tried a beach holiday, I should make a confession," Donna began to say.

"Oh yes?" the Doctor queried, leaning up on one elbow to scrutinise her.

'Oh gawd', she thought. 'If he carries on looking at me like that I'll lose the will to say anything at all'. "The thing is," Donna blustered and then blushed, intriguing him further.

Was this it? Had his words and actions finally got through to her, he wondered. "Yes," he encouraged.

"Jack was absolutely wonderful with the wedding non-plans," she admitted, looking out to sea rather than straight at him. "He rustled up a fake groom; some nice bloke that Gwen knows, in case you were wondering. He even upgraded the venue for afterwards."

It was at this point that the Doctor realised that he hadn't been wondering about the fake wedding at all, and would have liked to blame being preoccupied with dying, but the real truth was that he was too relieved to be reunited with both Donna and Jenny. "Venue?" he echoed. "What afterwards are we talking about?"

It was only then that she turned to regard him, and bit back on her mirth at seeing his puzzled expression as his wet hair attempted to reinvigorate itself. "The afterwards that is a family do to replace the original wedding celebration and to welcome Jenny properly into the family, since she never had a christening, or a birthday or anything," she said in a flurry to avoid any sound of possible accusations.

"Jack organised this 'afterwards', you say. Why did he put himself out so much?" the Doctor pondered.

Donna merely shrugged in answer. "I dunno. It wasn't as if I wasted my womanly wiles on him," she stated. "Never had the chance," she then muttered to herself as she looked down at her hands.

Anger flared in him. "Donna…"

"Mum, is it okay collect shells to take back with us?" Jenny interrupted him, putting his senses on alert.

"You'd better ask your dad because…," Donna started to reply and then noticed that when the Doctor sat up his back was looking more than a bit affected by the sun. "Doctor, you didn't put any sun cream on your back," she pointed out as she placed a tender hand on his reddened skin. "We really ought to get you inside and find some aloe vera to put on that."

"Oh Dad!" Jenny exclaimed in sympathy when she had seen the redness that covered him.

"Come on, Time boy," Donna ordered him as she stood up. "Jenny, help collect these things. We need to deal with this sunburn before it gets serious."

"Donna, I'll heal quite quickly," he tried to say in order to fend off her fussing over him.

"Yeah, you say that now, but you'll be wishing you hadn't when you're crouched over hugging the toilet pan or lying feverishly in bed later," Donna countered as she bustled about collecting their bags, and inevitably thrust some into his hands. "So get a move on."

* * *

As he slouched petulantly back to the TARDIS, he remarked to Jenny beside him, "This is what I remember hating about marriage."

Jenny frowned in confusion. "Hate?! Is it the caring you hate or the bags of stuff?" she asked curiously.

Making sure Donna was still striding off in front of them, he whispered, "Okay, I like this bit with all the caring, but shhh! Don't tell your mum."

It was with a happy spring in her step that Jenny sauntered back into the TARDIS to go and shower before finding out what else they would do that day. She had to laugh when she heard Donna tell the Doctor, "Go and shower first, Spaceman, and come back here so that I can deal with that burn."

"But Donna…," he tried to protest.

"No buts! Just be quick about it," Donna had insisted.

Jenny was almost sure she caught a sarcastically mumbled, "Yes, dear" at the end of that, but she couldn't be completely certain.

When she returned to Donna's bedroom about twenty minutes later, the Doctor was sitting on the bed with a towel wrapped around his waist, still looking rather chastised. Jenny was about to question him about this when Donna emerged from her bathroom wearing little beyond a large towel too.

"Good, you came back," she stated when she saw him. "The after sun lotion is in the drawer by the side of you."

He immediately turned and plucked out the bottle whilst Donna quickly made sure her towel was not going to budge.

"Is there anything I can do?" Jenny wondered.

"Not really," Donna admitted as she climbed onto the bed to kneel behind the Doctor. She stuck out a hand and he obediently placed the bottle on her palm. "This won't take a tick, then we'd better get ready for bed."

"We?" the Doctor cheekily queried, looking over his shoulder at her.

"Okay, all non-Time Lords will go to bed and sleep because, quite frankly, I'm knackered. And that's a word I don't want you to use, young lady!" she aimed towards Jenny. "But I need to sleep. You two can go and do whatever you want to do."

It was on his mind to suggest something to deliberately irk her, but he thought better of it once her hands were on his back spreading out the cool soothing liquid on his sore skin. "Perhaps I'll just stay here and let you do this all day," he said instead.

"You could have avoided this if you'd let me do you earlier," she slightly chastised him. Not that she wanted to have a go at him, as he was obviously in pain.

"Yes… well…," he blustered. "I don't like stripping off in front of people."

"But we're family," Jenny interjected.

The Doctor carefully thought that through. "You are, but I didn't think that way."

Donna was still smoothing cream over his back and shoulders, going as gently as she could. "Ah, but don't forget that your dad isn't used to having family around anymore," she pointed out. "I assume you've learnt your lesson though," she added into his ear. She then blew on his shoulders to help cool them down.

"Yes. Just keep doing that. It's nice," he said faintly and swayed on the spot.

"Are you going to sleep on me?" she wondered in amazement.

"No," he declared, but totally spoiled that by easing slowly sideways, narrowly missing her lap, and laid face down on her bed. "I'll just be over here." he mumbled from somewhere in a pillow.

"Thought so," she answered and shared an amused look with Jenny. "I'd better go and nick your bed to sleep on instead."

"No, don't do that," he muttered, and blindly reached out a hand to catch her ankle. His grip was quite firm and insistent. "Plenty of room here."

"In that case I suppose it's goodnight, Jenny," Donna said with a laugh.

"Night," came another mumble, and the two women giggled at him. He could live with it. All he cared about was the fact he was tired, extremely comfortable and very happy in that moment.

Left on her own with him after Jenny had gone off to dry her hair and get some sleep herself, Donna found her thoughts were very conflicted. On the one hand she was lying on her bed with her husband, so what was wrong with that? On the other, she was lying on her bed with the Doctor; a very naked, and slumbering Time Lord. Was this even allowed?

Already she could see subtle changes in his skin as he slept; the redness had definitely faded to a mild pink. It would probably only take about an hour or so and his sunburn would totally disappear. What then? Would he wake up and saunter off, or would he stay longer? Did she want him to stay longer? A traitorous little inner voice said a very clear "Yes" to that question.

Which led her thoughts back to that moment on the beach as she was held within his arms. It had been so powerful it could be defined as a life changing moment; if anything had actually happened afterwards. And the trouble was that she wanted something to happen with all her being. 'Stop being so daft!' she told herself. It was a technical marriage, not an actual one. But it was too easy to forget that with the way he had been looking at her. If she didn't know any better she would have thought his kind regard extended to real and proper love… and the Doctor didn't do love. Hadn't the whole Bad Wolf Bay fiasco proved that?

Sad thoughts bombarded her then involving the duplicate Doctor. Best not to think of that until later, she decided as she wiped away some tears. For now she had to come up with a plan to deal with her current situation, lying next to someone who she suddenly found incredibly attractive.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** I'm sorry about the posting delay but this was incomplete due to visiting my mother in hospital and then suffering migraine pain in the last few days.

* * *

**Part 7**

A couple of hours later the Doctor woke to find he was lying on Donna's bed, much to his surprise. His immediate thought was 'Donna is going to kill me!' until he turned over and found himself face to face with current proprietor of the room and knew for sure that certain death was imminent if he didn't get out of there as soon as possible.

But panic was soon replaced with calm when Donna didn't stir a muscle. Instead she slept on, neatly tucked in under her duvet cover, with her hair fanned out over the pillowcase beside him. She looked so peaceful lying there by his side, and in a strange was it seemed so right to see her there; or should that be he felt right sleeping next to her? Whichever way you looked at it, he wanted to stay in that position, but he knew he shouldn't. Donna had been very clear about their relationship, and he loved her for being consistent.

As the words filtered through his awakening brain, he started at the inclusion of 'love'. Was that what this emotion was? It was very different to previous dalliances; primarily because this time round it came with plans, family, and desire without the initial lust.

His fingers reached out on their own accord to stroke a few wisps of hair experimentally. If this was allowed then he determined to go further, perhaps play with a curl, or even, should miracles happen, be able to run his fingers through an expanse of ginger goodness, feeling the weight and texture of the long strands. It was a dream, like many others.

If he allowed that dream to build it included caressing her creamy white skin whilst he counted her freckles. Why they enticed him so much was anybody's guess; but he wanted to get closer and smell, taste and touch the exposed part of her neck.

Her eyelids fluttered at that moment, placing his senses on alert, but fortunately she stayed asleep and he could continue watching tiny puffs of breath play across the fine hairs of her cheek. All it would take was a gentle touch on her temple to find out what thoughts were causing the frown that briefly appeared; except he wouldn't allow that invasion of privacy. Although, he reasoned, he could touch her skin and gain a clear idea of her emotional; should she be fearful and need him to intervene. Just a sweet caress, he told himself, as he trailed the tip of his finger along her jawline.

The effect stunned him. With their growing bond he could detect contentment, regard and, dare he admit, a form of love. She must be dreaming of Jenny, he decided. The two had formed an unbreakable mother-daughter bond during their time together.

Talking of Jenny, it really wasn't wise to let her find him prone on Donna's bed. It wasn't seemly. She needed a better example of adult behaviour than that. So reluctantly he sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. Oh dear! He was still in only his towel from earlier; this _really_ wasn't a good example in the circumstances. It implied all sorts of familiarity that didn't exist, sadly.

Easing himself into a standing position without disturbing Donna, he shot her a final farewell glance, wishing he'd had the courage to give her a kiss goodnight. Perhaps he would ask her if that was allowed now? With that plan of action, he went off to his own room.

* * *

As she woke up, Donna threw out a hand to seek the Doctor's body, and met cold bedsheets. She forced open her eyes to double check, and yes, he had crept off. Damn! It must have been a dream after all. With a heavy heart she kicked off her covers and climbed out of the bed.

Returning from the bathroom, she spotted the bottle of after sun lotion sitting on the bedside table. So she must have applied the stuff to his back after all. That pleasantly surprised her. It meant that he might consider returning to the scene of the crime, as it were, at some point in the future. Her heart begged her to seek him out and ask if it was considered normal with Time Lords to sleep with your spouse, or should she write this off as another anomaly? Except she knew she wouldn't ask that question unless a peculiar situation ever arose to allow it. Sometime never then, she thought with a sigh.

Cocking her head to listen carefully, she reached out to find where and what Jenny was doing. This part of the marriage bond was wonderful! Everything seemed to come with added footnotes now, just like Harry Potter's marauders' map; aiding understanding. Except the Doctor, of course. He rarely let her totally in, as if the whole situation deeply embarrassed him; which was a possible, she logical reasoned. She knew he was close and in a good mood, so for now that would have to be sufficient.

There was a light rap on her bedroom door, and then Jenny popped her head into the room. "Morning, Mum!" she greeted her. "Do you know if we're spending a 'just us' family day or are we including Gran and Gramps?"

"I don't know," Donna admitted. "You'll have to ask your dad what he's got planned for us."

There was a sudden shout of, "Breakfast!"

They both shared a gleeful glance.

"You must have inspired him," Donna commented.

"Or he had an extra comfy night's sleep," Jenny pondered.

'Oh crikey! Here it comes, any moment now,' Donna thought as she saw something whirling in Jenny's mind.

"Mum, does Dad often sleep in here?"

Yes, there it was. "No, love. In fact that was the first time ever; although he often sat in here talking, back when I was a companion."

In a wild attempt to halt any further questions along that line, Donna tugged on Jenny's hand and dragged her towards the kitchen and the breakfast the Doctor had rustled up for them. God help their tummies.

As it turned out, it wasn't too bad an effort at all; and he proudly welcomed them in to sit at the kitchen table. There was toast, scrambled eggs, marmalade, bacon, and a fresh pot of tea.

"Blimey, Time boy! You've outdone yourself with all this," Donna told him as she sat down.

"Nothing but the best for my daughter," he told her with a satisfied grin.

"Nice to know I had such an influence," she deliberately griped.

He looked stunned. "Oh no no no! I didn't mean that you…"

"I'm teasing you, you prawn!" she bit back. Picking up a piece of toast, she remarked to Jenny, "Talk about overreact. I think I might have hit a nerve."

"Mum!" Jenny giggled as she tried to eat, and couldn't control herself when the Doctor glared at her but Donna carried on eating as though nothing had happened. "Dad will never get us home if you rile him like this."

"Home?!" the Doctor queried, trying not to let the hurt bleed out.

Donna instantly covered his hand with hers, and reassured him, "She didn't mean like that. This is home now. She's referring to the do we planned that we promised we'd turn up to."

"Sorry, Dad," Jenny contritely told him.

"Oh, I see," he blustered. "When should I take you back?" His hearts soared when they both smiled at him.

"An hour after the fake wedding," Jenny eagerly supplied. "Mum has the address written down since it was supposed to be a little bit of a surprise for me."

"It might be a surprise for me and all," Donna muttered. "Yes, Jack sent me the details but wouldn't let me go and see it. He wanted us to enjoy the experience, he said."

The Doctor sat back in his chair and thoughtfully considered her words. "I'm still puzzled as to why Jack did this," he admitted.

"D'uh! Cos he couldn't do it for you directly so he's done it for Jenny. It isn't exactly rocket science, is it?" Donna reasoned.

"I think it is lovely of him," Jenny commented. "Everybody has been so nice to me."

Hmm. The Doctor had his doubts about this; but he kept them unsaid.

* * *

Jenny threw open the doors, and peeped out. "Are you sure you've got the date and time correct, Dad?" she asked him.

"He'd better, or I'll have his guts for garters," Donna remarked as she joined Jenny by the door.

"If all else fails, I shall take two of the most beautiful women in the universe for dinner," the Doctor immediately promised.

"What? Don't I get to come too?" Donna wondered. "Talk about cheek!"

"Fishing for compliments I see," he saucily whispered by her ear.

"Didn't work, did it," she answered with a grin. "Never mind. Jenny more than makes up for me in the looks department."

"No, I'd say…" he began to retort, but Donna was already out through the door; and he hurried after her.

She was standing still on the lawn outside contemplating the building before them. "Talk about good choice, Jack! Well done indeed." Donna then turned to tease the Doctor further. "He must fancy you like crazy to do all this. Are you sure you never let him buy you that drink?"

"Did you say fancy?" Jenny quizzed her. "As in Jack wanting to kiss Dad?!"

Oops! Innocence strikes again. "It has been known," Donna answered. "I hear Shakespeare put in an offer too."

"Did you have to tell her that?" the Doctor grumbled.

"No; but it's still fun," Donna brightly trilled. "How you ended up with me shall plague you for the rest of your lives."

"Then I shall make you pay heavily," he replied, determined to be unfazed by her teasing. In fact he was enjoying it immensely. "This, Jenny, is your equivalent of a coming out party; in the Austen sense before a certain someone makes a joke of it." He eyed Donna specifically, and gained the smirk he wanted. "So, shall we?" He offered an arm to both women, and smugly escorted them towards the building.

* * *

It was easy to find where they were supposed to go, because a noticeboard declared where the event venue was in large letters and the staff eagerly greeted them at the door. Jack had chosen a grand country club within easy travelling distance of Chiswick; a place that Donna had heard of but had never dared enter for fear of it being too posh.

A large banner featured the words: JENNY! WELCOME TO THE FAMILY

"Oh wow!" both Donna and Jenny gasped out as they entered the assigned room, saw the large buffet table groaning under loads of food, and the welcoming banner.

Everywhere she looked, Donna saw family and friends who were there to meet Jenny officially, and it made her heart glad that they had bothered to show up. As soon as she saw Jack she raced up to thank him; and then greeted her mother and Gramps.

Jack and Wilf were delighted to see the Doctor turn up, and that the plan had worked; but Sylvia was not so taken. As far as she was concerned, the Doctor had stopped Donna gaining a proper husband again. All this talk of being married to him was more than a little far-fetched, and she'd believe it when proof was provided. Married an alien, indeed!

A brief introduction speech was made to everyone as to who Jenny was, made by Wilf, including their thanks to Jack and the ladies of the Wednesday Girls; and then the music started up.

To Jenny's absolute delight it was music she had heard on the television during her stay at her grandmother's. "Is this…?" she demanded from Donna as she practically bounced on the spot.

"It certainly is. Go do your Strictly bit, love," Donna encouraged her.

"Come on, Dad!" Jenny grabbed his hand, giving him no room to back out; determined to try out a few dance moves she had learned from the dance competition programme. Fortunately he was keen to oblige.

Donna watched the Doctor dancing with his daughter, _their_ daughter; feeling proud on his behalf. Who knew he would ever have seen this day? He looked incredibly happy as he twirled Jenny about and guided her through the dance steps.

She didn't even notice the man who had swept up to her side until he asked his question. "Would you care to dance?"

Startled and pleased to be asked, Donna immediately agreed and was taken in hand by a tall, handsome man of about thirty years old. His grey eyes almost twinkled at her as he led her through some intricate moves and she thankfully managed to keep up. All that dancing in the lounge with Gramps was finally paying off.

"I'm Fred, by the way," he introduced himself. "I'm Suzette's nephew. Are you here on your own?"

"Hello, I'm Donna," she automatically reciprocated. "No, I'm not on my own. I'm here with my daughter and h…" The title stuck in her throat. Why was it so hard for her to say the word out loud? She geared herself up to try once more. "Husband," she continued, hoping Fred hadn't heard her hesitation. "That's them over there." She vaguely pointed to where the Doctor and Jenny were on the dance floor still twirling about.

Fred looked over accordingly. "Your daughter is very pretty," he remarked.

"Yes she is," Donna proudly and readily answered. "It's a good job she doesn't take after me."

"Oh I don't know," Fred replied. "It's a shame she didn't get your hair."

Donna snorted her scorn at him. "I'm delighted that she's blonde instead of ginger. It's saved her a world of grief."

Then to Donna's eternal surprise someone cut in and took her hand.


	8. Chapter 8

**Part 8**

.

"Hello, Jack!" Donna eagerly greeted him. "I didn't know you could dance."

"Oh yes," Jack enthusiastically replied, leaving the stunned Fred behind them as he expertly guided Donna across the room. "I've seen this particular dance win and lose popularity over the past decades."

She immediately sympathised, "I bet you have, you poor thing."

He grimaced pleasantly in reply.

They happily swished by several times until the music stopped for an interval. "Thank you, Donna. We should do that again," he told her.

"Anytime," she readily agreed. "I suppose I'd better get back to meeting each family member individually to explain what happened and why they're seeing Jenny for the first time."

"It must be hard for you," Jack commiserated. "It's a good job the Doctor came here to help. You're doing a wonderful job making him happy."

"Who me?" Donna wondered as the Doctor and Jenny made their way towards them. "Nah! All that's because of Jenny; you know that. And thanks to you."

"Are you fawning all over him again?" the Doctor teased her as he joined their company. "You'll make his head even bigger."

Of course Donna had to spoil it for him by noticing his tie was askew, and she instantly insisted on adjusting it. "Look at you," she tsked. "At least Jack can keep his tie straight! You're like a scarecrow at times."

Jenny shared an amused glance with Jack.

"Donna!" the Doctor whined. "Do you have to?"

"Yes," she declared. "I'm in charge of you now, and my family will not hesitate to criticise me if you are scruffy."

"Why do they care about me? They're here to see Jenny, not judge my appearance," he protested.

"Yeah, you'd think that, wouldn't you? But oh no! I'll never hear the end of it if you're not deemed fit for public display," she explained.

"Then thank goodness we never had our wedding in front of them," he argued. "They'd have been appalled with how I was dressed."

"How were you dressed?" Jenny interjected.

"Nothing more serious than being without his jacket," Donna quickly answered.

"You were wearing it," the Doctor added. "Not that you didn't complain."

"I was cold, I'd been kidnapped, and I'd jumped from a moving taxi. I think I had the right to complain," she defended herself.

"I did say you looked lovely in your wedding dress."

"True, you did," she conceded with a smile.

"I wish I could see a picture of you," Jenny said wistfully.

"I'm sure I have something you can have," Jack offered.

"And there was some video footage somewhere," the Doctor remembered. "We'll have to find out where that went."

Donna was about to make an observation when she was bumped from behind. She turned to find her mother's aunt standing there. "Aunt Maggie! How are you?" she greeted the woman with a hug.

"It's been a long time," Great Aunt Maggie returned. "Is this your daughter Jenny that I've been hearing about? And who are these gentlemen?"

So Donna made the introductions. "This is our old friend Jack, and this is my…" She steeled herself to continue. "…husband, the Doctor."

Jack politely excused himself as the music started up again, to join his team, leaving the four of them standing there.

"So you're the husband," Great Aunt Maggie said with much disgust as she eyed the Doctor up and down. "Shame you didn't appear earlier."

"Actually he did," Donna spoke up and held his arm defensively. "He saved your arse when those Christmas trees attacked you."

"That was him?!" Great Aunt Maggie queried with awe; and then smiled pleasantly at the Doctor. She even added in a little pat on his arm. "Well done, lad. Treat yourself to a drink."

"Erm… thanks," the Doctor answered, and watched with amusement as she toddled off towards the buffet. "Your family are certainly entertaining, Donna."

"We aim to please," she smirked back at him. "I'll let you get back to eating or dancing with Jenny."

"Wait!" he cried as she made to move away; and was stunned when she actually stopped and looked at him expectantly. "Seeing as I'm being referred to as your husband and we had a wedding of sorts, do you think we should dance together?"

Donna blushed, much to her annoyance. "You really don't have to. No one will come after you with a shot gun."

"I know," he replied, and took hold of her hand to draw her closer. "That doesn't mean I can't dance with my wife."

Was he really expecting to dance with her? Donna didn't believe it until he had placed one hand on her back and held her right hand in the other to lead her into a graceful waltz. Her surprise went up a notch or two when he pressed them close together. Almost unbelievably close.

As if that wasn't distracting enough, skin to skin contact brought his mind flooding into her head, dazzling her with its brightness. So much so, that she slightly stumbled; and he instantly held her up.

"Don't do the 'falling for me' joke," she mumbled in warning.

"Sorry, but it's been so long since I had family to share minds with," he breathily confessed near her ear. "And with you it's all so…"

"Boring and domestic?" she suggested.

"Golden and intoxicating," he quietly admitted, as waves of another emotion rolled off him.

Donna gasped. He wasn't, was he? The gentle hum of his mind was slowly seducing her, causing her blood to pump wildly around her body. Good grief! He would know what reaction he was creating. How would she ever live it down? This could end up being another Martha situation if she wasn't careful.

"I'm…" The rest of her denial fell away as she lifted her head and found herself nose to nose with him, and those damned tempting lips of his eased nearer. She closed her eyes as faint contact was made; a mere brush of slightly parted lips as his breath mingled with hers.

"Donna!"

She immediately pulled back and opened her eyes to find her mother standing glaring at her. "What, Mum?" she enquired.

"Are you two going to mess about all night like silly buggers, or are you going to finish introducing Jenny to everyone?" Sylvia demanded to know.

Donna shook her head to clear her thoughts. "Who hasn't met her yet?" she asked dreamily.

"My cousin Joan and her family haven't yet," Sylvia supplied. "Why are you dancing with him anyway?"

That made Donna bristle. "In case you don't know, this is the first time I have ever danced with the Doctor."

"What, never? Surely you must have at some point," Sylvia reasoned.

"No, never," Donna answered testily. "So thanks for ruining it for me!" She then glared angrily about her missed opportunity and stormed off.

Sylvia was left staring at the Doctor. "Why haven't you danced with her before? Is there something wrong with you?" she quizzed him. "I suppose you'll be telling me next you don't dance. Not that I'd believe you if you did. That little display you put on with our Jenny proved otherwise."

The shock of hearing the words 'our Jenny' almost made him miss the rest of the accusation. All he knew was that he'd been told off for not previously dancing with Donna, and he had to admit that Sylvia had a point. He'd been avoiding dancing with her for a long time. "Sometimes the opportunity doesn't arise," he retorted.

* * *

After several minutes of vainly looking he found her eventually standing outside the hall; looking through a window at the empty bowling greens outside as though they held the key to life. "Are you okay, Donna?" he softly asked as he approached her side.

She lifted her head to gaze directly into his eyes. "Yeah, I suppose so."

Once he was next to her he playfully nudged her shoulder. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing really. Just thinking about stuff." She then scrunched her face up in thought. "Can I ask you something?"

"Anything. You know you can ask me anything." He waited for the expected personal question.

Her mouth opened a couple of times before the question properly formed. "The dance was nice but I can't help wondering… Why did you try to kiss me? Was it for a bet? Have you planned something with Jack that I don't know about?"

A slow shake of his head showed his disapproval. How could she doubt his intentions? "I did not make a bet or anything else with Jack," he seethed. "I hadn't realised my kissing you would cause such a problem. I even thought you might have liked it."

"Why? Cos that's what I do now? Go around kissing every Tom, Dick or Harry?!" she bit back angrily. "Well, you've got that one wrong, mate!"

"Then try enlightening me!" he spat back. "I would love to know why you took offense when all I did was try to…" He then spluttered to a halt, the unspoken words hanging heavy between them.

"You've shut your mind off to me," she pointed out. "There's no way I can know the end of that sentence unless you actually tell me. Is it that bad that you can't? Was it some sort of parting gesture? A case of here's a kiss, now it's good night Vienna?!"

"Where do you get these ideas from? I shut you out because I'd like to consider my own thoughts first before sharing them with you both. And I am not implying they are negative thoughts, but that I'm slightly out of practice with all this and retaining some privacy."

Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Are you thinking dirty thoughts? My god, you are!"

His cause wasn't helped by the fact that his face blushed a deep red. "Private thoughts are meant to be private!" he blustered.

She glared at him. "So who were you perving over in there? Please say it wasn't Nerys!"

"It wasn't Nerys. Happy now?" he wondered tersely.

Oh! "Then who was it?! If it was your own daughter I shall personally rip your…"

There was no way he wasn't going to interrupt her tirade. "No no no no! Don't be so sick. If you must know it was you!" he ground out in defence and only then, having uttered the words, realised what he had said. "It was you," he repeated in defeat.

"Me?!" She couldn't have looked more shocked if she had tried. "Well, that's a first. If I hadn't've heard it I'd have never believed it."

"Yes, well, it's true, so get used to it," he mumbled, shame-faced.

Cautiously bringing up her hands, she sought to wrap her jacket more tightly around her to cover up her exposed chest. "How long have you been having these feelings? Were you after a 'friends with benefits' relationship?"

"Is that…?" There was a definite hopeful gleam in his eyes for a second. "No, that's not what I was after."

"Then what?" she asked in confusion. "I don't understand what you want from me."

"Oh, you know. The usual," he tried to say offhandly. "Things like being my wife, the mother to my daughter, and sharing my life."

"I do that already," she commented.

"I know. But I was thinking of extending it slightly,"

That made no sense to her. "In what way? You've got it made from what I can tell."

"Not quite." He risked a glance in her direction, and then went in for the kill. "I want a proper wife, in a proper marriage, sleeping in a proper marriage bed."

He wanted what? "Then you'd better go and get her. I'll even hold your coat if you like as you do."

"No, Donna!" he sighed in exasperation. "I'm not trying to get that from someone else. I'm trying to suggest that we, that's me and you, become a proper husband and wife."

"An arranged marriage of convenience then," she tried to clarify. "Yeah that makes sense with Jenny and all."

"Give me strength!" he cried out. "You really don't want to make this easy for me, do you?"

"I just thought I did," she answered in confusion. She then snorted a laugh. "Unless you are seriously suggesting…?" Her face fell in realisation. "No! Are you? No, surely not."

"Perhaps I am." He was getting rather fed up with her reluctance to see the truth; and suddenly decided that perhaps his actions would speak louder than his words. "I want you, Donna Noble," he quietly stressed as he moved in closer to place his hands around her jaw. "And more than anything, I want to…"

Using his hands to ease forward her head to capture her lips, he actually managed to begin that longed for kiss, bathing in her warm mind, when there was a shout from the doorway of the hall.

"Dad! Mum! Come quick!" Jenny yelled at the top of her lungs. "You have got to see this!"

"What?!" the Doctor ground out in frustration. "Is this what having kids is like these days?"

"Get used to it," Donna sarkily replied and quickly headed to where Jenny stood anxiously looking for them.

Jenny broke out into a smile of relief as soon as she saw her. "Thank goodness you were close, Mum!" she called out. "I have a massive surprise for you."

"You do?" Donna asked as she got to Jenny's side and peered inside the hall. "What sort of surprise?"

"The best kind," Jenny answered, and knowingly grinned. "It was Jack who suggested I use the box again. So I concentrated, because I knew you desperately wanted this to happen even though you've tried to hide it. There was this large smoky whirlwind of a tunnel thing that appeared. Something dark slid through…. and…"

"And?" Donna encouraged her to continue, glancing briefly towards the Doctor in exasperation. "What came through?" Then a thought struck her. "You said I wanted… You don't mean who I think you mean, do you?" she asked hopefully, not daring to believe it was true.

A tall figure stepped forward from the gloom into the light, and beamed a huge smile in their direction. "Hello, Mum!" he cheerfully greeted her.


	9. Chapter 9

**Part 9**

.

"No! I… Is it you? No!" Donna gasped out in shocked delight, and promptly almost fainted before clasping onto his sleeve for grim death.

"Yes, it's me, Mum," he confirmed. "A bit different, but definitely me."

Donna couldn't stop herself from touching him; to check he was actually standing there, in the flesh. Suitably reassured, she squealed with joy. "It's so good to see you! Handy Andy, you look so young! What have you been doing to yourself? I never believed I'd see you again. How did you get here?"

The duplicate Doctor merely grinned. "All thanks to Jenny here. Don't I get a proper hug?" Not waiting for an answer, he swept up Donna into his arms and hugged her tight.

The Doctor was utterly amazed to see Donna plant kisses all over his duplicate's face; in fact she peppered his cheeks with kisses and he was encouraging it. How come he'd got them so readily? And was it wrong to be jealous like this? "Well?" he asked Jenny, who was standing proudly watching this little display.

"I used the Key part again," she admitted, keen to show off. "I was showing Jack how I had used it to bring you properly back to your former self, and thought I would use my brother as an example. Since I had no idea how he differed from you, I concentrated on a younger you." Noticing his frown rather than joy, she cautiously asked, "Was that wrong?"

"No, not wrong," the Doctor faintly answered, keeping an eye on his 'son' still hugging Donna. He certainly looked young enough now to gain that title; no more than early twenties at the very least. "Apart from the fact he was supposed to be with Rose."

"She didn't want me anymore," the Duplicate announced, releasing Donna enough to keep just an arm around her waist.

"What did you do?" Donna asked knowingly.

"Ah! Well… apart from my looks slowly getting younger so that I no longer looked the same. It took about two weeks to happen to me, you see, in the alternate universe, whereas Jenny said it was instantaneous here. Anyway, there was erm… there was the little matter of Louise," he said sheepishly.

"Louise? Who's she?" Donna tried to pin him down with her gaze. "And what was wrong with Rose?"

"If you must know, Louise is… was Rose's friend and she sort of propositioned me; and who can blame her? I'm gorgeous!" He laughed when Donna swatted his arm.

The Doctor spluttered, "What?! How could you do that to her?"

"He was a human bloke. Of course he could do that to her," Donna defended him.

"I had this human body full of sexual impulses to explore, and Rose didn't approve," the Duplicate griped. "She told me to bugger off as soon as she found out about Louise."

"Yeah, sounds like true love to me," Donna sarcastically remarked. She then tenderly caressed his face. "Her loss is our gain. Welcome home."

As the Duplicate kissed Donna's cheek he noticed the Doctor's small sound of disapproval, and asked Jenny, "Are they sharing a bed yet?"

Jenny shook her head. "No. Should they be doing that?"

Oh! Another member of the family who didn't know about these things, he noted to himself. "If you want, Dad, I can show you how to hold Mum by demonstrating with Jenny?"

Donna instantly smacked his shoulder. "Don't you dare do that with Jenny!"

He merely laughed. "I'm only teasing you, Mum."

She smiled fondly back at him. "You may be Handy Andy, but you can keep those hands under control around here."

"About that, Mum," he began nervously, rubbing his right hand across his nape. "Can I choose my name this time? Only I don't want to be John Smith again."

Whilst the Doctor balked at that, she asked, "What name would you like, love?"

"How about… Jonathan Andrew Noble? I think that has a nice ring to it," he suggested.

Before Donna could give an answer Sylvia appeared looking put out. "Donna, who is this young man? Someone said he is related to Jenny."

"He is, Mum," Donna answered brightly. "Come and meet Jonathan; my son and Jenny's brother."

Sylvia had her hand held out in greeting by the time the words sunk in. "Your what?! Your son, did you say?" She then peered closely at him. "He's got your blue eyes, and there's definitely ginger in his hair, otherwise he's a younger Doctor."

"That's because he is a mixture of the two of us, Sylvia," the Doctor explained. "Jonathan was formed as an adult like Jenny was, on the day I brought Donna home to you."

"Why didn't you mention him?" Sylvia shot the accusation whilst retaining Jonathan's hand.

"I had a lot to explain in a very short space of time, and my priority was keeping Donna alive," he sternly answered, leaving room for no further questions. Nevertheless he was pleased to see that his previous outburst was still prevalent in her memory.

"Can I call you Gran too?" Jonathan asked to break the tension; and smiled his warmest smile at Sylvia. "Unless you want me to say you are my girlfriend?"

"Hark at him," Sylvia commented with delight. "Isn't he cheeky? I can see you are going to have your hands full with him. Come and meet everyone properly, Jonathan. I can't wait to show you and Jenny off. Donna, I think your husband needs a drink."

With that, Sylvia led off a smugly grinning Jonathan, eagerly followed by Jenny, who clearly was in awe of her new brother. That left Donna standing with a shocked Doctor. "Did you see what I just saw," Donna wondered out loud, fearing this was a dream.

"I was about to ask you that," he admitted. "Correct me if I'm wrong but was that your mother being nice to me?"

They shared a puzzled look.

"It seems to be. I knew she likes Jenny, but for her to fall for Jonathan's line like that... Well, words fail me. How did Jenny get his appearance to change so drastically?"

Ah! A question he could easily answer. "It was what Jenny wanted him to be; a similar age to her, blue eyed and with your colouring to enhance your connection to him. Yes, it's not a big surprise in that respect. We're the only ones here who know what he originally looked like, apart from Jack."

There was something about his reply that worried Donna. "Do you mind that she changed him so much? I want an honest answer," she warned him.

He gave a small sniff before replying, "It's a shock, but I'm getting used to having two young adults as children. His two hearts was more of a surprise."

"You don't mind?!" she spluttered. "I can keep him?" she queried anxiously. "You're not going to send him back?"

He could hear the indrawn puff of breath as she waited for his response, and he couldn't do that to her again. Last time had been a selfish act, but this was a second chance to get it right with Donna and return her children. "He's staying, with us, right where he belongs."

The reaction made him think he should have made this declaration in the first place, because Donna threw her arms around his neck and held him tight.

"I bloody love you!" she proclaimed.

There was no way he was going to let her retract that statement, so he held onto her body. And kept quiet, for once.

* * *

When they re-entered the hall a modern tune started up, Jack invited Sylvia to dance with him, and Jonathan grabbed hold of Jenny's hand.

"Come on Jenny. Let's show them how it's done," he suggested, and dragged her giggling form on to the dance floor.

Donna watched in amazement as he expertly danced, getting Jenny to copy his movements. "I didn't know you could do that," she remarked to the Doctor.

"I can't," the Doctor denied. "He must get that from you."

She snorted her scorn. "I assure you that I have all the grace of a baby elephant."

"Then I'd better test that theory out," he answered, and took hold of her hands.

"What are you doing?" she wondered.

"It's called dancing with my wife," he replied, pulling her closer. "I assure you that we aren't breaking any local laws by doing this."

"How boring for you," she told him. "Would it make it more interesting for you if I knocked a policeman's helmet off or flaunted the offside rule?"

He laughed, and then leaned in to whisper, "You can make things more interesting for me when we get back to the TARDIS."

"Careful what promises you are making, Spaceman, as I may make you deliver," she teased as they moved in time to the music.

A playful waggle of the eyebrows was his answer.

* * *

Jonathan was watching the pair of them carefully. "Are you sure they haven't disappeared into the bedroom together yet, Jenny?"

"No. Why? What's so important about the bedroom?" Jenny asked in confusion.

"I have so much to teach you, little sis. If we don't get them to share a bed pretty soon their marriage is doomed," he explained. "When we get back to the TARDIS we shall have to find a way of locking them in a cupboard or somewhere; force them to admit their feelings."

"Is it wise to do that?" Jenny queried. "Won't they be annoyed?"

Jonathan shook his head in disbelief. "That is half the fun of teasing them. Don't you know that? We are going to have loads of laughs with this by the time we're finished."

Jenny wasn't so sure. "We will?" All this was so alien to her.

Fortunately Jonathan grinned back reassuringly. "Oh yes! I promise we will." As the music momentarily stopped, he stood still and swept his gaze to the corner of the room. "Now enough about them for the time being. Who's the girl over there in the short black skirt?"

Jenny peered over to see who he meant. "That's Amanda. She lives three doors down from us. What about her?"

That smug grin was back. "I think you need to introduce me; and then I'll introduce you to the bloke in the green shirt."

"Who him?" Jenny tried to say nonchalantly, but her blush gave her away. "That's Steve."

Jonathan gave her a cheeky wink. "Steve won't know what's hit him. Let's go grab ourselves a date."

* * *

"What do you think of our Jonathan, Gramps?" Donna asked her grandfather as soon as she could.

Wilf chuckled as he watched him dance with their neighbour's daughter, Amanda. "To think I thought Jenny was a case! That Jonathan, eh? Look at him go! I couldn't ask for a finer great-grandson. If it weren't for the fact he looks just like the Doctor, I'd have said he was pure you."

"Is that good?" she wondered.

"Good?! I'd say it's marvellous!" Wilf proclaimed; and earned himself a grateful hug.

* * *

At the end of the evening, Donna cornered Jonathan as soon as the Doctor disappeared with Jenny to settle some argument for Jack. "Okay, out with it. What really happened with Rose?"

He squirmed a bit; and then lowered his voice, just in case. "Sex with Rose was fine but she was a bit possessive and I fancied finding out what sex would be like with someone else. So when Louise offered me a quick bunk up, who was I to refuse?"

There was an empathetic laugh in response. "Possessive, eh? Who would ever have guessed that," Donna commented sarcastically.

"Tell me about it," he said with feeling. "Rose was very picky about what was allowed and what wasn't."

"What are you implying?" she wondered.

"Only at certain times of the day, missionary position only, no extras, and definitely not in the shower," he moaned.

"Ooh, my poor boy," she half mocked him. "So this Louise. I suppose she offered all this?"

"Well… she claimed she did; the prick tease. I'm sure it was partly done to score points off Rose," he pondered. "No, she was merely a few quickies in the end, and totally not worth the effort."

"And then you found Amy," she sing-songed. "What was so special about her?"

"She erm…" He blushed delightfully. "She obviously fancied me, and she wasn't connected to Rose, so there was no comeback in that respect."

"Was she worth staying for?" Donna asked with deep concern. "Did Jenny whip you away from the love of your life?"

He shook his head. "No, it was nothing more than lust. I thought I loved Rose, but I couldn't love her enough; not in the way she wanted."

"Which was?"

"All out adoration, I think. I didn't dazzle her like Dad did; I couldn't fulfil the fantasy," he answered honestly. "When I started to look younger it was like it was the last straw for her; I no longer looked exactly like him."

"Come here," she softly ordered, and wrapped her arms around him as she kissed his forehead. "The important thing is that you both tried; not that you failed."

He hugged back. "I tried to be what everyone wanted me to be, but I couldn't."

"And why should you be? You were meant to be you," she declared, and brought her hand up to sweep his fringe out of his eyes. "My handsome, gorgeous and brilliant son; who has come back to me. I've missed you so much!"

He sniffed back his emotions. "I wish you knew how much I've missed you," he near whispered. "Every time I got the complaint 'you are just like Donna' I was quietly proud. How about we go and celebrate our Donnaness?"

"Yeah, why not?" she retorted. "And I know just the cake to do it with. I also think we've earned ourselves a glass of champagne."

In that moment it was them against the world; and they practically skipped off to relish in that.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N:** sorry for the slight delay, but my migraines won't bugger off this week.

**A/N2:** with a special item worn by Donna and suggested by** Serenity's Lady**.

**A/N3:** cling film is what we call plastic wrap here in the UK.

* * *

**Part 10**

.

Jack was doing a wonderful rendition of I Know Him So Well, to Jenny's sheer delight, as they packed up the food left in the near empty hall. In fact Donna couldn't stop herself from standing still in order to listen to him. The man was exceptionally talented; and also a little bit drunk.

No doubt there would be questions later from Jenny about why Jack was acting so merrily; along with the possible questions Steve would have evoked with his dismissive behaviour earlier on. Donna mentally filed away possible answers to use when the time came. For now those that were left in the hall were enjoying the impromptu concert.

At least Gramps was happy, sitting in the corner discussing astronomy with the Doctor. She shared a smile with him across the room.

As she contemplated where the cling film might have escaped to so that she could cover the gathered uneaten food, there was sudden movement in her periphery vision.

"Where did you sneak off to?" she asked Jonathan when he appeared by her side and hastily began to scoop used paper plates into a bin bag.

"Nowhere," he answered far too quickly to remain unsuspicious.

"Oh yeah? And I'm the Queen of Sheba," she sarcastically remarked.

The cheeky begger bowed down low before her, sweeping an arm out dramatically. "Your majesty."

"Get up, you tart!" she quickly ordered him. "What were you doing?" She then noticed Amanda on the other side of the room, eyeing him predatorily as she chewed on her finger nail. "Or should that be who?"

"Well… you know," he replied vaguely, and then meaningfully leaned in. "Before you start, she's got a full time boyfriend, so it's nothing serious. But I have got to tell you." He brought his voice even lower at that point and kept his gaze firmly on Donna to whisper, "Sex as a Time Lord is fantastic! It really is! It makes you aware of so many things; I can't even begin to describe it."

"Perhaps you ought to tell your father," she involuntarily told him. "Look, do I even want to hear this? How stupid is it to go around having casual sex like that?!"

"I was careful!" he protested. "I made sure no one could see us…" He laughed when Donna automatically swatted his shoulder. "It's safe now, Mum. Any nasty complications and my Time Lord body can deal with it pronto. Bob's your uncle, Sally's your aunt, and my body expels it; just like that!"

"I'm still not happy," she warned him. "What about unwanted little hybrids?"

"I can control that; and it's not all in the wrist action. No one gets my swimmers unless I want them to," he tried to reassure her. With a tap of his forehead, he continued, "It can all be controlled from here, down to the last detail."

"How lovely for you," she sarkily replied. "Shame the same control isn't exerted over your need to shag everything that moves in a short skirt."

"Jealous!" he protested with a laugh. "Just think," he pondered, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "If I've still got this libido, then Dad must be sex on a stick."

Laughter bubbled up through Donna before she could prevent it spilling out. "He's a stick alright!" she scoffed. "As for having a libido, well, I've never seen any evidence of it."

"You don't know what I know," he sing-songed, and tried to pull away.

But Donna grabbed hold of his arm, and he screeched to a halt. "What do you mean? What aren't you telling me?" she demanded.

He tapped the side of his nose this time. "That would be telling."

"I'm warning you," she growled.

"It's no good you doing the whole snarling thing, because I won't tell you," he smugly retorted. "Dad has his secrets; his dirty, naughty little secrets; and only he can tell you."

She huffed and folded her arms. "Perhaps I don't want to know them considering they're all about some blonde."

He raised an eyebrow. "Who said she was ginger…erm… I mean blonde? Nope, nothing crossed my lips. Nothing whatsoever."

"What didn't touch your lips? Are you hungry?" Sylvia asked him as she happened to manoeuvre herself within earshot. She stopped collecting items off the table as she waited for his answer.

"Yes, Gran," he immediately replied, and grinned broadly. "I'm always ready to eat something cooked by you."

He then swept Sylvia into a warm embrace that had her giggling like a schoolgirl in seconds.

"Geroff, you daft bugger!" Sylvia complained; except her words didn't match her actions. "Donna, do something about your son."

"I think it's too late for that, Mum." Donna watched the show before her with keen interest. "I can't even blame Jack for this."

"Did I hear my name used in vain?" Jack wondered, joining them. "This young man has nothing to do with me; unless you count encouraging Jenny to bring him here."

"Thank you," Donna said as sincerely as she could, surprising him; and placed a grateful kiss on his cheek. "I truly can't thank you enough."

"That's okay," Jack stammered.

"No it isn't," Donna insisted. "We owe you a massive debt. I've no idea how I'll repay you for your kindness."

Well," Jack playfully answered, "you can always promise me your first born child."

"Hey! That's me!" Jonathan cried out indignantly.

"And if the worse comes to the worse, Rumpelstiltskin, I'll give him to you," Donna saucily promised.

"Mum!"

"Don't worry, I won't," she cautiously retracted her promise. "On that note, I'd better take him home."

* * *

"I don't know about you lot, but I'm knackered," Donna declared as they entered the TARDIS.

"Ready for bed, eh?" Jonathan waggled his eyebrows at her.

"You saucy git!" she laughed. "At least I have a bed, unlike some. You'd better ask the TARDIS nicely if she'll give you a bedroom."

"I could always have Dad's," he mused. "Since he might not be needing it."

"You already have the room the TARDIS gave you from before," the Doctor pointed out. "It's been moved next to Jenny's."

"You'd better show me where it is," Jonathan meaningfully asked Jenny as he grabbed her hand. "I've forgotten my way around."

Jenny scoffed. "Your memory must be terrible if you've forgotten already."

"I know," he tried to say with great sincerity as he glanced towards Donna. "Night, Mum! Night, Dad! Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"What does that mean?" Jenny asked as she led him away.

"It's just a saying, Jenny. Now say goodnight to everyone." Jonathan gazed at her expectantly.

"Oh! Goodnight!" Jenny called out; and the two of them disappeared down the corridor leaving the Doctor standing with an apprehensive Donna.

"So…" she commented, hoping to encourage him into doing something.

"You said you were erm tired," he stuttered.

"I did," she replied, and waited; and waited. "Are you tired?"

"It's been a busy and emotional day," he conceded. "In light of that, do you think we should… I mean…"

She sighed in exasperation. "What are you really asking me, Doctor? Only, I remember a certain promise being made when you danced with me."

He gulped nervously. "I did; and I want to."

"What's stopping you?" she asked softly. When he didn't reply, she continued, "I'll tell you what. I'm going to go into my bedroom and get ready for bed. If you want to come and talk to me, then that's fine. Give me ten minutes to change."

Having said that, she trailed a finger as seductively as she could along his jaw, ending up by caressing his bottom lip.

He caught hold of her hand and tenderly kissed her fingertip. Smouldering down at her, he brought her closer. "I won't be long," he huskily said.

True to his words, he smoothed his hands up her arms, across her shoulders, and down her back; bringing her incrementally nearer, until his lips could ghost their way along her jaw to land ultimately on her mouth.

There was no one to stop him from sweeping his tongue along her bottom lip, encouraging her to open and let him in to glide over her top lip, her tongue and her teeth as he explored the contours of her mouth.

When she responded and did the same to him, he wanted to sing with delight. There were a few other things he wanted to do as well, but the console room was not the place for that to happen. So reluctantly he released her lips, and patted her bottom. Who would have thought he'd be allowed so intimate a gesture?

"Go on, go and get ready," he hoarsely encouraged. "See you in ten minutes."

Donna placed a brief kiss of confirmation on his lips, and then turned away.

He watched with interest as she sashayed towards her bedroom; and then raced to find the book he had found on human sexual practices. It would need careful consideration before he made his move.

* * *

Donna sat on her bed wearing a dark teal chemise and not much else. Excitement thrummed through her. This could be it!

She was still sitting there thirty minutes later. Where the hell was he? Had he gone off and started tinkering again? She wouldn't put it passed him. Donning a long towelling dressing gown, she stepped out into the corridor and listened to detect where he was. Far off in the distance was a sound she knew all too well.

In fact it was no big surprise to push open his bedroom door and see him out cold clutching a book to his chest. Gentle snoring filled the air.

Great! Just typical. With a resigned sigh, she closed the door and headed back to her own room. So much for romance, she thought.

* * *

Donna hadn't been awake long and emerging freshly dressed from the bathroom when the first visitor of the morning appeared and sat themselves on the bed.

"Mum," Jenny opened her question, feeling very anxious that she was likely to offend. "I don't know how to ask this, but I don't know what else to do."

Donna immediately took pity on her; and placed a consoling hand on Jenny's arm. "I want you to be able to ask me anything, love. So fire away."

"It has something to do with Jonathan," Jenny began.

"I knew it!" Donna declared. "Out with it. What has he confused you with?"

"It's…" Jenny then blushed as she considered her next words. "He said a married couple need to share a bed, but I feel stupid for not knowing why. Is the marriage contract to do with bed ownership?"

The overwhelming need to laugh almost stopped Donna from breathing for a few seconds; but she held it all in. "Well, love," she responded with a cough to clear her throat, "there is usually a fight over who can claim the greatest amount of room in the bed, but honestly, marriage isn't exactly about the bed, per se."

Jenny inevitably frowned. "Then what is it about?"

Oh crikey! How much should she actually divulge? "The bed is where mating often takes place. You've heard of mating, haven't you?"

There was a slow nodding of a head, as Jenny replied, " I've heard of it. It's the process of producing live young. So do you have to have young in order to be married? And how exactly is mating carried out by humans?"

"A lot differently to Gallifreyans, from what your dad has told me. No handy machines to take over the process for a start! No, the human body has to do the job of creating new life," Donna explained.

To her horror Jenny thoughtfully peered at her body and actually touched her side. "Where are the doors that open to let the new life out?" Jenny pondered when she couldn't detect any hinges.

That was it. Donna couldn't avoid laughing any longer. "I wish it was that simple, like when you stepped out. Unfortunately not. The new life, called a baby, grows gradually inside the lower part of the torso and then is pushed out. I'll ask the TARDIS to access a few episodes of One Born Every Minute if you like; then you can watch the whole process."

A grin of thanks appeared. "I'd like that," Jenny declared, and then a thought obviously struck her. "You shared your bed with Dad. Does that mean you will be having a baby?"

"Ah," Donna hesitantly answered.

"But you said…"

"What did Mum say?" Jonathan asked as he entered the room; sleepily rubbing at his eyes.

"That if you sleep with your husband you will have a baby," Jenny supplied.

"Well, yeah; that happens," he conceded. "Why are you looking so pleased?"

"Because Mum is going to have a baby for us to see grow!" Jenny explained with glee.

"I am not!" Donna protested.

Jenny was crestfallen. "Why not?"

"Yeah, why not, Mum?" Jonathan cheekily wondered too.

Donna glared at him. As if she didn't know he was perfectly aware as to why!

"We erm… don't share a bed," she emphasised.

"You did the other night," Jenny petulantly re-joined.

"Did you, Mum?" Jonathan swept up to Donna's side to tease her thoroughly. "Did you get all comfy under the bedclothes?"

Inevitably Donna swatted his arm. "No we did not! Your father slept on top of the duvet, and I was under it."

"I think you're doing it wrong," he told her, with a saucy wink; and got swatted again.

"How should they do it?" Jenny innocently asked. "I don't understand."

Jonathan and Donna shared an amused look.

"Come on then, Smarty-pants. Tell your sister how," she ordered him.

"And spoil your one and only chance to bestow knowledge? Nah! Not a chance," he told her, wiggling away to avoid any further punishment. "They have to be under the duvet, together," he threw at Jenny as Donna chased him out; giggling as he went.

"Yeah, you can laugh; you tart!" Donna called after him from the doorway as he practically danced away down the corridor. She then turned to smile reassuringly at Jenny. "We need to do the birds and the bees talk, don't we? Let's go to the library where I can find some suitable visual aids."

"Okay, Mum," Jenny answered as brightly as she could; whilst wondering how her brother was like a pastry dish. This trip to the library sounded a bit ominous, and she silently worried that the information would be life changing.

Funnily enough, that was Donna's worry too as she led the way.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: **I was asked for a little Time Lord talk by** eloriekam, **and I couldn't resist adding even more. Sorry for another delay but RL has other plans for me at the moment.

* * *

**Part 11**

.

"Where is everyone?" the Doctor greeted Jonathan when he sauntered in the kitchen. In fact he looked quite miffed. "I've made tea and toast for us all."

"They won't be too long," Jonathan assured him. "They've just popped down to the library to sort something out."

"Sort something out," the Doctor repeated. "What sort of something?" he quizzed him as he set the last of the breakfast items down on the table; arranging them so that the jams were to hand.

"A certain something called Jenny. I thought it best to leave Mum to it." Jonathan pulled a comical face. "It's the birds and the bees talk."

"Oh!" the Doctor exclaimed with understanding. "I'd assumed she already knew."

"Only some of it, but not the finer points." Jonathan sat swivelling his foot as he sat at the kitchen table, contemplating his father as they tucked into several slices of toast and marmalade. How should he broach the subject exactly? "Dad?"

The Doctor stopped eating and turned his attention onto his son. "Yes? I get the feeling you want to ask me a question."

"Since you've mentioned it, I do," Jonathan cautiously began. "I noticed you trying to get… what's the word… _friendly_ with Mum at Jenny's do, and I can't help wondering… since you sort of brought it up…"

There was a faint spluttering as the Doctor hastily put down his tea cup. "What were you wondering?" he tried to determine.

"Well, there are two things, actually," Jonathan began his questions.

"Okay," the Doctor acknowledged this information. "I might regret this, but what's your first question?"

A faint blush appeared on Jonathan's cheeks. "Do you ever find your need for sex overwhelms you, or am I the weird one here?"

"I don't think…" The Doctor quickly found himself being interrupted.

"Dad, please! I need to know," Jonathan insisted. "This is getting beyond a joke for me. I look at an attractive woman sometimes and it is physical agony. Is this normal for Time Lords?"

"No," the Doctor hesitantly replied. "Part of being a Time Lord is having control over such primitive urges. In fact I'd say that you are still experiencing human male tendencies rather than Time Lord ones. It will ease off gradually and eventually."

A relieved expression appeared on Jonathan's face. "So I'm not defective, and you get this sort of thing?"

"I never said that!" the Doctor protested. "Quite the opposite."

"So you're frigid," Jonathan pondered thoughtfully. "Yes, that makes sense."

"Young man, I am definitely not frigid, as you so tastefully put it; so mind your manners!" The Doctor glared haughtily at him.

It took a lot of effort for Jonathan not to giggle at that moment. "Hmm. Do I take it that Time Lords have some sexual feelings but you cannot act on them? That doesn't sound fair, considering expressing that can be enjoyable with someone you love. It certainly does explain your behaviour towards Mum when we got home."

"Sometimes opportunities don't present themselves. And what exactly are you insinuating about my actions towards your mother?" the Doctor huffily demanded.

"Well, let's be honest here. Do you actually _know_ how to romance a human woman?" Jonathan queried. "Not that I'm saying you're incapable of it, because I'm certain you are; it's just… Mum is rather special."

"Of course she is! She's the most important woman in all of creation," the Doctor instantly argued. "There are worlds out there who are worshipping images of her at this very second."

The Doctor did not expect the exasperated roll of eyes or the despondent sigh at his words.

"Dad, Dad, Dad." Jonathan threw his hands wide like some evangelical salesman. "All of that is irrelevant when we are talking about what Mum is, here and now. The question we should be asking ourselves is: what does she personally mean to you?"

Oh! The Doctor blinked a few times as he tried to gather his words, and he anxiously licked his lips. "Quite a lot."

Jonathan couldn't believe his ears. "Quite a lot?! Sheesh, Dad! Don't blind us with overstating your case, will you! I'm sure if you actually uttered the words 'you mean quite a lot to me, Donna' Mum would fall into bed with you at the drop of a hat."

"Are you being sarcastic?" the Doctor angrily asked.

"D'uh! I think we can take that as a 'yes'!" came the retort.

The Doctor glared back, and returned to drinking his tea. "You are just like your mother," he huffed into his cup.

"And thank goodness for you I am!" Jonathan declared. "Look, Dad. I can help you with this. After all, I've had a fair bit of experience in this field compared to you."

"With an ex-companion of mine; and I'd rather not know, thank you very much," was the terse reply.

"Oh! I didn't only have her…" He was pleased with himself for avoiding saying the name for a moment, and then he noticed the parental wince at his terminology so he amended his next words. "I also made love to her friend Louise, and a beautiful little brunette called Amy. I won't mention what happened with the lovely Amanda. Not that I'm trying to pretend what I did was morally correct or anything, but I erm… I'm just trying to say I know some helpful moves."

That didn't get the grateful reaction he was hoping for.

"What did your mother say about you being so foolishly promiscuous?!" the Doctor almost exploded.

"She erm… she didn't approve, obviously, but she forgave me nevertheless," Jonathan confessed, with some embarrassment. "She understands a man has needs, and all that."

"Well, she would. Donna is a very forgiving and understanding woman." The Doctor gave a sniff, and then peered thoughtfully at his son. "You actually told her _everything_?"

"Of course! There are no secrets between us. Never has been, right from the very start. Why? Is that a problem?" Jonathan queried. Ignoring the possible answering retort, he carried on to say, "If you play your cards right, we can get Gran and Gramps on your side too; as well as our Jenny."

The anger was instantly back. "Have you two been discussing us?! Because I won't have you interfering. Is that understood?"

"Oh, Dad! You really don't get it, do you?" Jonathan practically mocked him. "I've seen you with Mum; and I know now why you two were mistaken for a couple all over the galaxy." He paused dramatically for breath. "You clearly fancy the pants off her."

"I do not! I keep telling you, we do not have that sort of relationship," the Doctor argued.

"But you'd like it to be," Jonathan calmly countered. "Don't try and fob me off with some other story. I've only been back in this universe five minutes and it is as clear as day that you want your marriage bond to be full and proper."

"Yes, I really can't believe how much you sound like your mother!" the Doctor spluttered, side stepping the issue. "It's the tone, her vocabulary, everything!"

There was an answering sigh, and then Jonathan admitted, "Yeah, well, that was another thing that marked my card with Rose. I looked exactly like you for a while but I certainly didn't sound, or act, like you. Gawd knows what she was expecting, but she didn't want what she got. It was bloody annoying when she started ranting at me. I had to threaten to smack her one to shut her up in the end."

"You physically threatened Rose? What sort of person did we spawn?" The Doctor sat back in his chair in shock.

"Don't get your knickers in a twist; it was only words," Jonathan defended himself. "I'd have never actually hit her. Sheesh, it's easy to wind you up."

"Oh, I see," the Doctor muttered. It was still strange to be faced with the male equivalent of Donna, but wearing his face. And here was a male version that could only lash out verbally rather than with a slap. Plus, their son was proving to be the sauciest individual he had ever met. It would take a lot of getting used to, this instant parentage. "Where do you fancy going today?" he asked to change the subject.

"Hmm." Jonathan toyed with his now empty tea cup. "Somewhere exotic, perhaps, that's suitable for a honeymoon?"

The Doctor inevitable frowned in annoyance.

"Dad, I'm on your side. I actually want you to get with Mum," Jonathan comforted him.

"Why? Why are you so keen for us to be a proper couple?" the Doctor queried.

Jonathan sighed. He'd been expecting this question. "Because I think you both deserve some happiness with the person you love. I wish you could see how right you are together, and I know how happy you've been since Mum came into your life. Look how you disintegrated once she had to leave you. You were never like that with R-, with anyone else."

"You can mention her name," the Doctor declared.

There was a responding grin. "I know, but I don't want to, out of respect to Mum. It was bad enough that poor Martha had all that nonsense rubbed in her face."

The indignant "I did nothing of the sort!" was totally expected.

"You did, Dad," Jonathan insisted. "You set up this cosy idol on a pedestal, and that was damaging. Although that run like a demented rabbit before you got shot by the Dalek was far more damaging; but then who am I to complain? I wouldn't exist like this if you hadn't felt so guilty."

The Doctor went wide eyed with outrage. "Guilty! Who said I was guilty?"

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that. You felt guilty because Rose turned up when you were completely wrapped up in Mum, so you had to put on some idiotic display of greeting when you knew her turning up was bad news. Anyway, I'm fed up talking about her," Jonathan announced as he made the effort to stand up. "Other people exist in the universes."

What brought that on? "Jonathan," the Doctor asked softly, "did she really upset you that much?"

"I wish I could say 'no', for your sake, but…" He focused his vision on his empty cup and plate held within his hands. "I tried, Dad; I honestly tried to be what she wanted. But it felt so wrong. I know I ended up just using her and the others, and I'm truly sorry that I did. I just… I wanted to feel connected to someone; like I had with Mum."

The Doctor rose out of his seat and immediately embraced Jonathan. "You have a family now, who love you very much."

"I know," Jonathan acknowledged, adding in a nod against the Doctor's chest. "Thanks, Dad," he murmured.

The wave of love he felt threatened to overwhelm him, but it was worth every moment of previous unhappiness. Instead he felt that he had finally come home.

* * *

Donna entered the kitchen, closely followed by a very wary Jenny, some minutes later. "Morning!" she brightly trilled.

The Doctor eased forward and kissed her briefly, anxious to make it partially up to her for his absence. "Morning." He then turned his attention to Jenny, who was scowling at him. "Morning, Jenny. What's wrong? Did you not like your lesson? Has something bad happened?"

Jenny flicked her angry gaze between the two men. "Only if you are female. It all seems rather unfair."

"Donna, what have you been telling her?!" the Doctor demanded to know.

"Only the facts," Donna defended herself. "I found some video footage… of someone giving birth, before you suggest otherwise," she shot at Jonathan. "And some lovely animation of how a baby grows."

"It was gross," Jenny declared. "All I could think was that it looks as if a man places a parasite in the woman's body."

"It isn't…," Donna started to counter argue; but the Doctor shushed her.

"That's correct, sweetheart; so don't you let any man near enough to harm you," he crooned at Jenny. "We don't want anything like that happening."

"Too right I don't," Jenny fervently agreed. "No man will ever do that stupid istuff/i to me!"

Jonathan opened his mouth to utter a comment about her possibly liking it, but shut it instantly when his father glared at him. Perhaps he'd keep that snippet to himself for the time being. Anyway, no one was going to be allowed near enough to Jenny in order to harm or upset his sister; so it was a no-brainer. That did leave one problem: how would he have as much fun as he had intended if Jenny didn't understand half of his jokes? This needed rectifying somehow.

"Is there any toast left, or have you two scoffed the lot?" Donna asked as she took off the teapot lid to check if a fresh pot needed to be made.

"Let me do that for you, love." The Doctor practically fell over himself to make sure she sat down and let herself be waited on by him. "We'll soon have you right as rain."

Jonathan watched him bustle about thoughtfully. "Mum," he wondered, "what did Dad do that's so wrong?"

"Nothing," the Doctor interjected.

"So you doing breakfast for Mum is you not having done something wrong? Okay, what did Mum do right?" he changed his question to.

"Did you let Dad sleep on your bed again?" Jenny added to the question in her eagerness.

Donna merely shook her head. "No, I slept alone last night," she said firmly.

But both Jonathan and Jenny were intrigued by the Doctor's blush that appeared on his cheeks; that and his uncharacteristic silence.

Wanting to try out her new knowledge, Jenny then started to ask, "Was you sleeping without Dad to do with what you told me, since you said some women are socially ostracised when they…?"

Donna quickly halted the question. "No, that wasn't it. Good grief! I'm beginning to wish I'd never brought it up."

"Jenny, not at the table," the Doctor warned her sternly.

"But I…," she stammered in surprise.

"It's not you," Jonathan whispered to her, and took her hand. "About this trip, Dad," he said more loudly. "How about you show Jenny some Earth history? We could go to somewhere medieval, and pretty."

"Can we, Dad?" Jenny enthused; her previous angst momentarily forgotten.

"I think that can be arranged," the Doctor agreed as he placed the replenished pot of tea on the table; and was greeted by eager faces.

* * *

**To be concluded**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: **sorry for the long delay but I've been dealing with my mother's terminal illness.

**A/N2:** yes I know I've glossed over the sex scene. That's why I'll be posting a DVD Extra to cover it (sort of).

**A/N3:** I had intended originally to take this in a completely different direction, but Jonathan sort of...took over.

* * *

**Part 12**

.

The downside was that they wouldn't be landing anywhere until the Doctor got some wiring sorted out; so Jenny and Jonathan set to with the washing up, Donna cleared away, and the Doctor tootled off to do just that.

During their discussion about medieval Europe, Jonathan promised to show Jenny some particular books in the library; and they headed off amiably in that direction. But Donna's quietness concerned him, so at some point he surreptitiously gestured to Jenny to walk further on her own, and then caught hold of Donna's arm.

"What did he really do wrong?" Jonathan asked softly as soon as he was sure they weren't being overheard.

"Nothing; he did absolutely nothing," she bitterly replied.

"As in not…?" he encouraged her to elaborate.

"As in not bothering to stay awake long enough to even care to see me," she tearfully admitted.

"Oh, Mum!" he crooned, and threw his arms around her shoulders. "I'm sure that he didn't mean to abandon you. Dad cares deeply."

"Yeah, cares deeply about reading his bloody books!" she huffed.

Anger flared through Jonathan. "I'll sort this out once and for all!" he declared; and started to guide her into the Doctor's bedroom.

She tried to stand her ground, and wouldn't enter. Jonathan, however, felt no such qualms, and strode in to see what book had kept the Doctor away. Understanding and amusement flooded him when he saw what it was. "It's all looking good for you two."

"But sweetheart, your dad doesn't want me like that, despite what he said before," Donna practically sobbed.

He took her firmly by the shoulders, and gently pulled her in. "Mum, he does! I know he does; and so do you. I sort of prodded him, and it was written all over his face. The only thing holding him back is fear of what you'll expect."

"But I wouldn't…," she started to deny.

He grinned. "I know that, but unfortunately he doesn't; so we'll have to use a different tactic."

"Which is?"

Now he could feel _really_ smug with this answer. "Warm up your womanly wiles, Mum. You have a date here in Dad's bedroom, wearing that cute little number you brought." Inevitably she had a look of disbelief on her face. "I know, Mum. Hand us your mobile," Jonathan requested, holding out his hand expectantly.

* * *

The Doctor was finishing off repairing some wiring below the console so that they could finally land somewhere without drifting off sideways, when a loud beeping sound caught his attention.

After pulling out the mobile phone and almost dropping it in his haste, he read the incoming message:

**What's this about Human Sexuality? Hurry; am waiting all alone on your bed - feeling very hot. Donna xxx**

He instantly felt his blood pumping around his body in anticipation. She's found the book he'd been reading! Would he ever live this down? Although the message didn't sound angry at all. It almost sounded like… She was actually _on_ his bed! Was that physically hot, or did she mean hot-god-I-fancy-you hot? Things stirred as he contemplated that. And there were three Xs. That meant kisses, didn't it? Three was supposed to be loving rather than friendly. This could be it. This could be their moment to complete the bond between them. He wouldn't feel sick anymore; he'd actually do…_it_.

"Are you feeling okay, Dad?"

The Doctor looked up to see Jonathan standing there. Would he mock or sympathise? "I erm… I need to see Donna. Do you know where she is?" he stammered out.

Jonathan fought to hide his grin of accomplishment. "She was wandering about in her dressing gown, wearing next to nothing for some reason. I last saw her near your bedroom," he answered as nonchalantly as he could. "Do you want me to finish the wiring for you?" he amiably offered.

"Would you?" the Doctor sought to confirm. His thoughts were racing now; calculating distances, velocity, terminal velocity, time of possible arrival, and anything else that didn't land on the possibilities being opened up to him. "Tell Jenny to…"

"Tell her what?" Jonathan queried in confusion.

"Tell her to keep away," the Doctor practically threw at him as he started to run towards his bedroom.

"Will do," Jonathan eagerly promised. Well, he didn't want to mess up this one, did he? Once the Doctor was out of sight, he allowed himself to laugh before finishing the wiring in a matter of seconds. With that done, he headed towards were Jenny was waiting for him in the library.

Anxiously smoothing down his suit, his hair, his sideburns and anything else he could think of, the Doctor rapped lightly on his bedroom door. Should he even knock on his own door? There was no guarantee Donna was actually inside; she could be teasing him with thoughts of her lying all hot upon the bedclothes…

He reached out before his courage failed him, turned the handle and peeped in. "Donna, I was just…" The incoming breath caught in his throat at the enticing vision within: Donna wearing a dark coloured silken chemise that skimmed over her curves and exposed plenty to contemplate.

In that moment he was completely lost; in time and in his hearts. It took all his willpower to not launch himself in order to worship at her feet. As it was he drew nearer as though an invisible thread pulled him in, and the warmth in her eyes welcomed him beyond his wildest dreams.

What seemed like seconds later they were kissing passionately, having disrobed each other with passing caresses. This was exactly the experience he had been craving. By the time she whispered a new pet name for him there was no stopping him; he would make her his proper bondmate, by hook or by crook.

* * *

It was a couple of hours later that the Time family met in the console room to await their first proper destination together; all previous activities politely ignored for the time being as they speculated where the TARDIS would take them.

Jonathan was allowed to peek out of the TARDIS doors first and discover where they were. "Look Jenny! It's Italy!" he cried out in delight. "Northern Italy, if I'm not mistaken."

"You're not mistaken at all," the Doctor answered with glee as he started to walk down the ramp towards Jonathan, and Jenny eagerly tried to push passed him.

"Oh, it's beautiful," she gasped once she got there. "What time period is it?"

"The sixteenth century," the Doctor replied after taking in a deep breath and sniffing.

"I'm still not taken in by that smelling nonsense, Spaceman," Donna commented from behind them. "You'll need to change into something more appropriate, Jenny. They won't take kindly to women in trousers."

"Can I change too?" Jonathan asked excitedly.

Before the Doctor could answer, there were squeals of excitement as all three rushed off towards the wardrobe. Since when had such a thing been part of the overall experience, and when had it been this much fun before? He was loving this!

* * *

"You not changing, Dad?" Jenny asked when she reappeared wearing a powder blue silk dress that highlighted her eyes and complimented her blonde hair, which was done up in cascades of soft curls.

He smiled warmly at her. "I have a beautiful daughter," he gushed as he took her hand.

"See, Jenny! I told you he hardly ever makes the effort," Donna remarked as she joined them. "Thank goodness your brother knows what's right."

The Doctor's mouth gaped open when he saw her; taking in the rich dark red gown, the girdle that held up all sorts of things to visually consider, and a similar hairstyle to Jenny's, that ably framed her face.

Trust him to look straight at the boobs, Donna thought. "Isn't our Jenny a sight to behold? She wouldn't believe me when I said she was stunning. Where is Jonathan anyway?"

"Here I am, Mum," he announced as he appeared, tugging at the lacy cuff he wore to get it to sit correctly. His outfit was in complementary shades of blue and red embroidered silk. "What do you think?" he asked, smiling broadly at her.

"I think I have a very handsome son," she replied proudly, as she gently touched his cravat. "It's a good look on you."

"Jenny?" He sought her confirmation.

She beamed back. "You look like a pretty bird."

"Stand next to Jenny. I want to take a photo," Donna ordered Jonathan as she searched for her camera phone.

"Mum!" they both protested.

"What? Do you really expect me to avoid a photo opportunity when you both look so gorgeous?! I think not!" Donna scoffed. "I want to show Mum and Gramps this later."

"Wouldn't it be better to do this with the right scenery?" Jonathan wondered.

With nods of agreement, all three left the TARDIS; and several posed photos were taken. The Doctor groaned; this was not his idea of an adventure. But he didn't protest when Donna thrust the camera into his hands to take a picture. In fact he enjoyed taking a few close ups for his own purposes.

"We are only staying here long enough to walk around for a small while," he whispered to Donna.

She frowned at him in confusion. "But…? What's the hurry?"

"This is a honeymoon destination, and I'd like to get to certain parts of the honeymoon process," he intoned meaningfully.

"You're feeling randy, you mean," she retort with a smile.

"Well," he drew out the syllable, and wrapped an arm around her waist. "There is that." He added in an eyebrow waggle.

* * *

One quick upset with the local prince, involving the niceties of who was allowed to touch Jenny, and they were racing back towards and falling in through the TARDIS doors. Except Jonathan got slightly side-tracked for a few seconds and found the doors slamming shut. Instantly his family were dematerialising before his very eyes.

They didn't?! Surely they knew what they were doing, and where he was? Jonathan jumped up and down in blinding anger. "Come back here!" he yelled at the top of his voice.

To his surprise two young women appeared from within the house; and proceeded to giggle at him. He frowned, and they giggled again.

One of them gathered up the courage to step forward and ask him shyly, "Are you in need of assistance, sir?"

"Actually, yes, kind ladies," he cautiously answered. "I've been accidentally left behind."

"You poor thing!" they sympathised, and crowded him as they reached out to touch the rich Chinese silk on his clothing.

"What are you playing at?" he demanded. "Be careful with the goods; these are my only clothes for the time being. Who do you think I am, exactly?"

"We do not know, kind sir," one of them admitted. "But you seem to be of noble wealth and birth."

"Well, yes; you could say that. Very noble birth," he blustered. "Just call me Casanova," he then joked.

They all giggled once more.

"You are most handsome, Signor Casanova," another one playfully complimented him.

He found himself flustered by this. "You think so?"

"Oh yes," the third girl confirmed. "Would you care to join us for a stroll?"

They all battered their eyelashes at him as they waited for his answer.

"I think I can safely say that I'd love to partake of your company," he brightly replied, and placed a gentle guiding arm around each of the two girls. "Let's see where this takes us."

Being abandoned was suddenly beginning to look up, in all sorts of promising ways.

* * *

Donna raced out of the TARDIS, and saw Jonathan sitting stunned at a small table, with a glass of wine in his hand, in a very bare and decrepit room.

"Where the bloody hell have you been?" he cried out when he saw her. "I've been here for weeks!"

She opened her arms to welcome him into her embrace. "Weeks?! But we've only been gone ten minutes or so."

"Okay, perhaps not quite weeks; but I assure you it's been days for me," he indignantly complained, as she tenderly stroked his back. "I thought you were never coming back," he brokenly admitted.

She shook her head fervently. "Never; never again would I let that happen to you. I'd rip the universe apart if I had to," she promised.

"Mum!" he quietly wailed.

"I know," she soothed him, adding in a kiss to his forehead.

"What were you really doing in order to forget me?" he sulkily asked.

"We erm… your dad and me sort of…" Her voice trailed off.

"You were shagging, weren't you?" he accused her.

"It's your fault; in a way," she never denied. "But we came straight away…"

Jonathan laughed naughtily.

"Not like that!" she scolded him. "Well, when I say… Anyway, as soon as we could, we raced back here for you. And I'm so sorry we were distracted."

"That's okay, Mum." He then added, "Dad left it to you to explain, I see. Typical!"

There was a screech from behind them of, "Jonathan!"

Then he was engulfed by Jenny hugging him desperately; followed by the slow enveloping touch of the Doctor.

"We're sorry, so sorry," the Doctor murmured with great feeling.

"Yeah, well; don't do it again," Jonathan managed to reply once he had gained enough comfort from the group hug.

They released him, and Jenny thought to ask, "What is this place? It stinks like crazy!"

"It's a prison," he said with disgust. "Not everyone was glad to see me."

"What on earth did you do to be locked up in a place like this?" Donna wondered. "Did you break something?"

"Somebody's heart, apparently," he told them bitterly. "Except it wasn't me. It's a case of mistaken identity."

"Really? Who were you pretending to be?"

"Nobody! Honest, Dad," Jonathan sincerely insisted. "They kept saying I was…" And he then mumbled a name.

"Who?" Donna queried.

"Casanova," he repeated petulantly. "They thought I was Casanova, alright?!"

"Don't get sarky with me, young man!" she bit back.

"Who is Casanova?" Jenny asked. "Should I know the name?"

"Too right you should," Jonathan remarked.

"No, he's no one," the Doctor commented at exactly the same time.

Jenny merely looked even more confused. "Mum? Which one is it?"

"I know," Donna answered brightly, "let's discuss this one back home. I dunno about you but this place is giving me the creeps."

"Try being locked up in here for a while," Jonathan quietly grumbled. "I mean, yes, let's do that," he amended when he caught the Doctor glaring at him. "I'd kill to have a shower."

"Something certainly has died in here." Donna wrinkled her nose in disgust and wrapped an arm around Jonathan's waist. "Just tell us what you want and we'll make it happen."

"Anything?" Jonathan questioned as he thought it over and allowed himself to be led through the TARDIS doors.

"Casanova…," the Doctor said thoughtfully, and rubbed his chin. "I think we need to check you over in the medbay."

Jonathan considered protesting and immediately dismissed it. After all, his father did have a point. "Good idea," he agreed and meekly followed the Doctor.

"He could have picked up anything in that prison," Donna told Jenny before she had the chance to ask the inevitable question, and gave her a one-armed hug.

They stood there together enjoying each other's company and the silence for half a minute.

"Mum, are you glad I came and found you?" Jenny suddenly asked. "I did sort of turn your life upside down."

"No, Jenny; you turned it the right way up," Donna insisted, and loving swept stray hair strands off Jenny's face. "Every day you make me more proud, and I love you even more."

Jenny tearfully smiled back and nodded. When she had dreamed of finding her family she had never envisaged anything as wonderful as this.


	13. DVD Extra

**A/N:** I was asked for this... I have no other excuse.

* * *

**The DVD Extra**

.

"I know, Mum. Hand us your mobile," Jonathan requested, holding out his hand expectantly.

Wondering what he'd come up with, Donna dutifully obeyed.

"This should do it," he commented as he typed in a text message, pressed send, and gave the phone back. "Get ready for your moment of _lurve_. And don't worry about us; I've worked out a way to distract Jenny to give you plenty of time together."

"This had better work," Donna warned him, "otherwise I'll have your guts for garters!"

"I promise you, Mum, that it will. Although if it doesn't, I assure you I'll lock you both in a cupboard."

"How romantic. I can hardly wait," she replied sarcastically.

Jonathan kissed her on the cheek. "Honestly, Mum; it won't come to that, promise. Have fun!" he smirked, and sauntered off.

* * *

The Doctor suddenly heard the console phone go off. Surely Martha wasn't ringing him again?! He had plans he was desperate to carry out; once this piece of wiring was finished.

Pouting stroppily, he grabbed the mobile phone from its holder and peered at the display. A message? Cautiously he opened the file and found himself instantly intrigued.

"**What's this about Human Sexuality? Hurry; am waiting all alone on your bed - feeling very hot. Donna xxx** " it said.

What?!

He read it again just to make sure he had seen it correctly the first time. She'd found his book and she didn't mind? That implied that she might actually be receptive to his physical advances; and more than that, she was encouraging him to do so right that second. Peering around the room for possible onlookers, he eventually strode down the corridor to investigate.

* * *

Right, try again, Donna told herself as she arranged her limbs on the bed in what she hoped would be an inspiring pose. Was there even such a thing for Time Lords? Just in case there was, she tried out perky, seductive and mysterious faces in the mirror. The trouble was, she ended up grimacing at herself in scorn. Who invented all this?!

In an angry huff, she got up off the bed and yet again smoothed the dark teal chemise down over her body. Shame she didn't have any Bridget Jones knickers on to help the toned effect, she thought. Then she turned sideways as she looked back in the mirror; that was fatal! In disgust, she almost pulled the thing off and considered changing into her normal pyjamas.

As luck would have it, the Doctor lightly knocked on the door and then peeped in. "Donna, I was just…"

He stood gawping in the doorway at her; so she raised a questioning eyebrow.

"You look… amazing," he gasped out.

She looked down at herself. "What this old thing?"

He held up the mobile phone still clasped in his hand. "What's this about feeling _hot_?" he quietly asked.

Oh yes; she was supposed to be all temptress-like. Come on, Donna, take charge, she ordered herself. So she deliberately trailed her fingertips down from her jawline and into her cleavage as seductively as she could. "I've been needing you to deal with my hotness," she purred.

"You have?" He stepped further into the room, keeping close eye contact. "What would you like me to do?"

Ooh, it was working, she noted. "I don't know," she confessed as she continued to caress her own skin. "I've already taken off almost everything."

That forced his eyes to dip low on her body, and his thoughts to wander even lower. "Everything?" he squeaked.

She nodded. "Even this chemise feels like it is too much."

His Adam's apple bobbed up and down for some seconds. Did she know what effect she was having on him, playing with his emotions like this? Arousal flared through him as he contemplated the fact that he didn't have to rip her knickers off, as what he wanted was ready and waiting before him. "Too much," he faintly echoed as he edged nearer still, until he was almost nose to nose with her.

She nodded again; mesmerised by the sheer look of desire on his face. "Are you feeling hot as well?" Her spare hand reached out to press against his chest, and then wandered over the buttons of his jacket. "We can easily slip something off."

A groan escaped his lips before he could stop it. "That sounds like a good plan."

"It does, doesn't it," she agreed, now pushing open his jacket to begin delicately undoing the buttons on his shirt. "We'll soon have you feeling right."

"We will," he confirmed, helping her to slide off first the jacket, the tie was slowly drawn off, and then his shirt; fumbling with the cuffs and then letting the items fall to the ground unnoticed.

Having achieved a bare chest, Donna allowed herself a moment to explore the delights of his finely-toned muscles and dusting of dark hair that made him appear more manly and less of a swizzle stick. "You have a lovely chest," she remarked.

"So… so do you," he stammered, keeping his hands chastely on her back. This was despite him wanting to do his own type of chest exploration as he smoothed his hands over the silken material of her chemise, feeling and mapping every contour. The thought that she was completely naked underneath it all rampaged through his senses. If he could manoeuvre his hands a little bit lower he'd be able to cup her…

"Theta," she whispered; and he felt his hearts try to burst out of his chest.

Ugh! What was she doing to him? He was supposed to be a noble Time Lord; not a slave to his libido. And certainly not one who had to take possession of a woman, at any cost.

The effect was instant; he crushed his lips down onto her mouth, moving over her lips in dainty sweeps.

Then her hands moved downwards, distracting him, until her fingers tackled the fastenings on his trousers. 'Take them off! Take them off!' he silently pleaded.

As cooler air hit the bare skin of his upper thighs, he pressed more firmly against her body; determined to enjoy every second of this wonder. Until the need to kick off his Converses and trousers occurred, of course. Then he jiggled about to rid himself of their confining restrictions; along with his socks.

Who'd have thought she'd get her own dancing Time Lord? Dismissing the need to giggle, Donna wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her body more tightly up against his; allowing the sensation of her covered breasts to rub deliciously on his bare chest.

This was what he had been hoping and waiting for; urging him to deepen their kiss so that they could passionately plunder with their tongues, sucking and encouraging. And with it came tendrils of feelings as they reached out mentally to one another.

"Donna!" he groaned.

"Theta!" she similarly answered.

He wanted her _now_; he wanted her so much. And he could feel that she equally wanted him. Reaching down, he pushed forward with his body and lifted the hem of the chemise. He met skin and more enticing skin. Another feral groan passed his lips.

A slight shimmy sent the last of his clothing to the floor, leaving him completely naked before her.

"May I?" he queried, and pulled upwards with the hem of her chemise, sending the garment to join with his own abandoned clothing. "Oh Donna," he gasped as she was revealed to him for the first time.

Any hesitation she had was quickly dismissed as he clasped her to him, bringing her flush with his body as he returned to their kiss.

As lips glided across each other's, their breath mingled in their eagerness to taste, adore, and devour. He couldn't stop there, could wait like he had previously done, instead he had to see what she was willing to offer him. So he pressed deeper, smoothing his tongue beyond her lips to explore the confines within; and she greeted him like a long lost lover. He fully intended to become the lover she deserved; her lover. And she would become his soul mate.

This was more than her expectations had been; this was hot, passionate, tender and fantastic! She adored this; she adored him. Jonathan had been right about sex with a Time Lord being the ultimate experience; and they had hardly started. She was aware of every nerve in her body responding to his touch; and acutely aware of him pressing insistently. Surely he wasn't trying to lift her up? He'd do his back in.

"The bed," she gasped out helpfully. "We need to get on the bed."

Reverently he laid her down, running a hand along her body before he clambered on top, settling between her legs. They kissed deeply and passionately, practically devouring each other in their haste to feed their desire. But when he didn't try to force entry, she got him to roll them so that she was on top.

"What's the problem?" he asked with great concern.

"Nothing, if I do this," she answered, and then rose up in demonstration.

He yelled out his delight; and several more grunts of pleasure escaped from his throat. There was no way he could lay there and let her do all the work. Instead he sat up and held her to him; their song of passion getting louder and louder as their connection increased mentally and physically.

His name burned brightly within her mind, dancing and twirling around her conscientiousness; and she called out to him, urging him on as she declared her love.

With an almighty squeal, she was hit by a wave of desire that literally sent her reeling, and culminated in the best orgasm she had ever had. Their bond shone brightly in that moment; forged beyond breakage, and entwining their time lines forever.

The Doctor wordlessly sunk back onto the bed. She giggled down at him, and wiped off some of the sweat on his brow. "I was right; you were feeling a little hot."

He smugly smiled back, as he sagged below her; sated and very happy. "Very hot, as it turned out. I might never be the same again."

"Good!" she retorted. "Because I bloody love you, Spaceman!"

He cupped her cheek as he caressed her face with his thumb. "And I love you, Donna Noble."

She toppled sideways, and grimaced with pain. "Shame that my legs are protesting about that position, because that was fantastic."

"It was?" He grinned broadly. "It was pretty fantastic from where I was too."

Her hand reached out to lazily trace unknown patterns across his chest. "Jonathan was right about sex being better with a Time Lord," she told him.

The Doctor stilled. "He told you…?"

"Why wouldn't he?" she pondered. "Anyway," she continued, resting up on her elbow in order to look down on him, "if it wasn't for him sending you that message who knows what we would have done."

"He sent me…?!" he spluttered.

"Calm down, Theta. You're forgetting that we have a grown up, experienced son, who is capable of piloting your TARDIS with our daughter whilst you have fun elsewhere," she reminded him

"What sort of fun?" he asked warily.

"This sort," she replied, leaning in to kiss his lips. "Only the best for you," she added.

He grabbed her and continued the kiss. "I couldn't agree more," he breathily confirmed.

* * *

Jenny and Jonathan were sitting reading in the library together in companionable silence when she suddenly cried out in shock, "What was that?!"

Having guessed, Jonathan cautiously investigated the familial bond they shared, and balked at the known sensation as he desperately clung onto the chair he was sitting in. "You don't want to know," he commented.

"Why don't I?" she immediately queried. "It feels rather nice whatever it is."

"Oh no!" he stammered out. This was going to be shaming.

"Whatever is the problem?" she demanded.

And that was when they became aware of hearing loud and distinct moans, groans and grunts.

"Jonathan, what is that? Is someone in pain? Has Dad injured himself?"

She sounded so frightened and concerned in that moment he couldn't let her carry on being upset.

"Jenny," he began slowly; still feeling the effects himself, "that's not pain; that's pleasure. Dad has accidentally let down his mental shields and we can hear and sense everything he is doing."

"But why?" she practically wailed as she tried to cope with it.

Oh dear! He gritted his teeth against the continuing onslaught. "Mum and Dad are bonding right this second. Now you know what sex is like."

Her face was a complete picture of disgust and denial. "That's sex?! But it's so…" She went bright pink.

Thankfully the information suddenly stopped.

"Yeah, tell me about it," he sympathised; and tentatively stood up. "I think I'd better… I'm going to have to shower and change. I'll erm… see you later."

"Yes, of course," she faintly replied. "Jonathan?" she called out as he tried to quickly sidle off. When he stopped to listen, she continued her question "Is it always like that?"

He looked like a startled rabbit. "Yes," he answered after some moments where he worked through whether to tell her a lie or not. "If you get the right person."

"In what way 'right'?" she queried.

Blimey! His dad was going to kill him for this. "When you love the person enough to want to have those little parasites you talked about earlier."

"I see," she muttered. "Am I likely to meet such a person?"

"If you're lucky," he replied with an encouraging grin. "And you never know, Dad might create a loom for you to use instead of going the whole parasite route. That's if you actually want to ever…" He gave a cough. "Anyway, I need to go and wash. It's messy stuff, for a bloke. "

She peered at him curiously. "Why?"

How on earth was he going to answer that one?! "Have you ever had a dog lick your hand all over?" He waited for her acknowledgement. "Then it feels as yucky as that."

"Ew!" She screwed her face up in disgust. "Why would anyone want all that?"

Ah, here was his opportunity to redeem himself in his father's eyes. "Go the loom route if you can, Jenny. It's much easier in the long run."

Jenny snorted her agreement. "Too right I will! You've made sex sound even more gross than I thought it was."

He smiled whimsically at her. Phew! He'd saved his bacon. "Keep thinking that, love! I'll see you in a few minutes. In fact I'll do us some tea if you like."

"Please!" she told his retreating back.

Once alone, she could reconsider the experience she had been inadvertently treated to.

Hmm. So that was sex, eh? Perhaps she should consider finding a mate after all… or not, as the case maybe. The practise might be interesting though.

The next question was how should they tell her father that they could hear them? Oh dear. Perhaps she'd leave that conundrum to Jonathan? Being an adult certainly threw up some very interesting questions.

* * *

**A/N:** You'll find the uncut version of this on my LiveJournal website.


End file.
